o 10c3402c6963f175
Author: Diane Solomon
Date: 2016-08-25T19:29:46.464886+00:00

The Ravenstone

The Secret of Ninham Mountain

Diane Solomon & Mark Carey

The Ravenstone: The Secret of Ninham Mountain
by Diane Solomon and Mark Carey

Eloquent Rascals Publishing

Hillsborough County, NH, USA

Website: http://www.EloquentRascals.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without written
permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review.

Copyright ©2016 by Diane Solomon and Mark Carey

First Edition

ISBN: 978-0-9907094-6-6

Acknowledgments

Our thanks go to:

Our focused and enthusiastic "first readers" and proof
readers: Marsha Campaniello, Deborah Whitman, Laura

Carey, James Davis, Cheryl Prottsman, Ella Carroll, Laurie

Seymour, Cheryl Kareff, Thelma Tracey.

To Matthew Kane for the wonderful cover image of
mountain and river.

To Sergey Ryzhkov for the incredible image of the raven
on the front cover.

We appreciate you!

Dedication

"Every child is an artist, the problem is staying
an artist when you grow up" ~ Pablo Picasso

We dedicate this book to everyone who revels in the joy
of the creative process, whether it be art, music, writing...

Don't let growing up or growing older rob you of your
creativity! Hold on to your childlike heart.

Prologue

1892: Ninham Mountain,
near Cold Spring, New York

"Where's the chamber?" Nora asked. "Is it much further?"

She walked quietly beside her twin brother, Patrick, through
the sparse woods. "We'd better not be gone long or Mom will
worry." She stopped and gazed behind her. All she could see
was the trail disappearing between towering pines, hemlocks,
and maples, and dappled sunlight streaming across the forest
floor. She could no longer see their family gathered in the big
meadow for the twins' thirteenth birthday party.

Patrick got his bearings and hurried forward. "It's around
here somewhere – I swear every time I come up here things
have moved. But, I know this is the trail I took last time." He
grabbed her hand and led her further down a slight path
between the trees. He grinned. "We'll get back in time for
cake... Oh, and don't tell Mother and Father about the stone
chamber, all right?"

"Why not? Is it a secret?"

"Not a secret, exactly. But, somehow I don't think they'd
approve." He scowled. "Father, especially, would view it a
waste of my time, I'm sure."

Just then, a dark, swooping shadow overhead startled
them. It was a great black bird, which appeared out of
nowhere and came to rest ten feet away on a bed of pine
needles.

"Look, it's a raven!" Patrick spoke in a low tone, but his
excitement was obvious. "They don't usually come so close to
people."

"He's huge. And so beautiful," whispered his sister. I'd
love to draw him, she thought.

The raven fluffed its feathers and tilted its head. Then it
stretched high on its black feet, reached into the air with
velvety wings and lifted effortlessly off the ground. Gliding
down the trail, the bird was nearly out of sight before the kids
could react. They raced after the raven, which led them off
onto a smaller trail through a break in the bushes. This new
trail, covered with a carpet of soft moss and tiny flowers, soon
blossomed into a miniature meadow, at the end of which
stood the open doorway of a stone chamber.

"Look!" Nora spotted the raven again. "It led us right to
it!" The bird stood near the dark doorway, gazing at the
opening with unblinking eyes, cocking its head from side to
side. In the sunlight, she could see the black feathers
gleaming with an iridescent purple hue.

Giant hewn stones supporting a huge capstone created the
chamber opening and to one side of the door stood a single
pointed stone pillar. Nora had the impression that, rather than
having been built into the hill, the stone chamber had emerged
right out of the hill, of its own accord. It looked like it had
been there forever.

Nora wondered how large it was, inside. That sounded
great; the heat of the sun and the exertion of the hike made the
cool dark cavity within very enticing.

Nora asked, "Who made it, do you know? What's it for?

And why is the raven there?"

Patrick chuckled, then shrugged. "I don't know... But
come on, let's go in."

As he started for the door, the raven hopped into the
chamber and vanished from view. The kids glanced at each
other, then ventured slowly into the chamber after their
feathered guide.

It took a minute or two for Nora's eyes to adjust to the
dark inside the chamber, after the brightness of the sunshine.

Slowly, she could make out the inner surfaces of the stone
walls and the rough dirt floor. It was not a large space,
perhaps ten or twelve feet deep, but they could stand up. The
ceiling was a few feet above their heads.

It was empty. Except for the raven.

"Look!" Nora pointed to the back of the chamber where
the raven was pecking and scratching at the hard dirt floor
near the wall.

"What's it doing?" Patrick started toward the raven, which
shied away from him and in a strange, stilted walk, returned
to the chamber doorway. There in the sunlight, it stared at
them with one black shiny eye, then spread its wings and
lifted into the air. When Patrick turned back to the spot where
the bird had been scratching, he knelt down in the dirt.

"There's something here... something the raven was pecking!"

Nora said, "You're right, there's something there." She
peered down at something glowing yellowish-red with streaks
of black. It protruded ever so slightly out of the earth.

"It's so dark in here." Patrick felt around in the dirt with
his hands. "Can you move a little, out of the light?"

As Nora shifted to one side, the sunlight streamed down
onto the spot where Patrick was scrabbling and the item
glowed even brighter. Reaching into his pocket, Patrick pulled
out a penknife.

"This is turning out to be a great birthday present," he
said. He managed to dust off the exposed portion of the object
and Nora could see it was not the same rough stone as

everything else in the chamber, but rather smooth and
polished and rounded on the end.

"It feels warm – isn't that odd? The earth around it is
cool. Can you help? The ground here is as hard as stone."

Nora looked around and found a small flat rock.

Forgetting her good party dress and shoes in her excitement,
she fell to her knees and began to scratch on the other side of
the stone object. It was caked with dirt and the ancient floor
held it tight.

"It's like treasure!" Nora exclaimed.

Patrick merely grunted in response. He finally scraped
enough dirt away to get his fingers all the way around the
object. He leaned back, pulling hard and the artifact slipped
suddenly out of the ground with a spray of dust and dirt. He
fell back, victory on his face, and stared down at his prize.

Nora leaned forward to get a closer look. Made of stone,
it was about eight or nine inches long and fit comfortably in
her brother's hands. It was smooth, resembling the handle of a
cane. There were bird's heads etched into the ends, each end
the mirror image of the other.

"They are bird heads!" said Nora. "What a lot of dirt – I
wish we had some water. And look at it glow!"

"Come on, let's take it outside where we can see it better."

They moved into the doorway, both so intent on the
object in Patrick's hands that neither noticed the raven, now
perched atop the capstone directly over the entrance. A still
and silent sentinel, it watched their every move.

Patrick brushed the carved stone object back and forth on
his shirt and picked at the remaining bits of dirt to expose the
carvings. "Look at these indents! Here, feel it… how it fits in
your hand."

Nora wrapped her fingers around the smooth, warm
stone. It could not have fit her hand better if it had been
created just for her. "It fits so perfectly. What do you think it's
for?"

"No idea," Patrick replied. "But, it's beautiful and looks
very old. Kind of looks lit from within, somehow, you know
what I mean?" He touched it with the tips of his fingers,
feeling the grooves and carvings. "How I'd love to know
where this came from... and who created it. Indians? Ancient

Romans or Celts? Druids?" He paused. "Sometimes I think I
was born in the wrong time."

Nora gave a small smile. "It must have been a magical
time, for someone to create something so beautiful."

Patrick seemed mesmerized by the carved icon. "How I
wish I were there, where this was made." As he spoke, he
slowly reached out to grasp the end that Nora was extending
in his direction. His fingers slipped into the contours and
wrapped around it almost as if he were reaching for Nora's
hand in a handshake. Their thumbs touched.

A bolt of electricity ran through Nora and she shivered.

"What on earth?" Patrick cried out.

The sensation intensified and Nora's every sense began to
tremble as if they were in a new and strange dimension.

Patrick reached for her arm with his free hand and she
grabbed for him at the same moment.

A huge golden arc swept up before them, incorporating
everything around them into its vast space. Her ears filled
with an overwhelming roaring noise. Then the cave, the
doorway, and the sunlit forest all dissolved away as even the
ground fell away from their feet. She felt suspended in that
golden archway of light with complete utter darkness all
around them. The light shimmered and pulsed and began to
expand away from them in a long undulating path. She could
feel it pulling, reaching for her, beckoning to her.

Patrick leaned into the light, then he stepped forward
toward the brilliant shining path, drawing Nora with him.

Nora sensed her brother's eagerness, but she did not share it.

No, her immediate and total reaction was one of fear and
panic. This couldn't be right – no, it felt completely wrong!

She shook, she trembled, she felt as if she'd been struck.

Then she could not breathe, the air was sucked out of her
lungs. In the throes of her terror, she knew, with every cell of
her being, that this light held only danger and disaster, that
she must run the other direction as fast and hard as she could.

With a huge effort that demanded all her will, she pulled
herself back. She pulled back with all her might, hoping to
save Patrick too. She fell backward, hard, onto the ground,
still clutching the stone icon, but Patrick had already let go.

"Patrick!" Nora screamed, scrambling up to her feet and
reaching out toward him. He was already out of reach and
slipping further and further away. It seemed he was fading, as

the golden light drew him further along the shimmering
pathway.

As she stood clutching the icon to her chest, unaware of
the tears coursing down her cheeks, the raven lifted from its
perch on the capstone and flew straight into the light after

Patrick.

Then it was gone. The light was gone. And her beloved
twin brother was gone. There was nothing but the soft breeze,
the quiet, sunlit opening in the forest, and the chamber door
behind her. All was as it was before.

Except now, she was alone.

Chapter 1

June 16, 2016, Cold Spring, New York

"You feel invisible," Nadia said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Her twin brother

Aidan kicked at a rock on the sidewalk, sending it skittering
across the pavement. "The only A in the whole class for my

Wappinger Tribe paper and he didn't say a single word about
it."

"I know Dad has a lot on his mind right now – "

Aidan cut her off mid-sentence, "He’s always had a lot on
his mind, but he used to be so proud of me. Now he doesn't
even seem to notice anything I do."

"I don't think it's that simple, Aidan. I know Mom is
worried about something, about Dad, I think. I’m just not sure
what it is yet."

Aidan muttered, "She always fusses over the genius
scientist. How is this any different?" Then he stopped
suddenly in his tracks and grabbed her arm. "Oh, no. You
don’t think they're getting divorced, do you?"

"No, no, that's not it, it doesn't feel like that." Nadia
started walking again. "I can't quite put my finger on it... but
it feels big. And not in a good way."

As they turned the corner to their own road, Nadia shook
off the bad vibes and the nagging worry that had been
haunting her. Beautifully tended historic homes lined both
sides of this pretty village street. Nadia waved and shouted
hello to Mrs. Hanley, who was in her front garden admiring
the pink peonies the size of dinner plates. She loved this walk
home, where she caught up with her brother's day and
decompressed from school.

Her own home filled her with happiness every time she
saw it. It was the only house she had ever lived in and she'd
heard stories her entire life about her grandmother, who grew
up in this house. Built in 1845, it seemed to hold all of her
connection to the past, present and future, her memories, her
life and loves. White, with black shutters on the windows, it
nestled in a garden of rhododendrons and azaleas, with a wide
lawn and blueberry hedge separating it from the road. A deep
porch wrapped around the front and side, where Nadia loved
to park herself in one of the big wicker chairs and gaze at the
meadow-like lawn, with its fruit trees. If she sat very still in
the spring, she often saw tiny fawns gamboling around in the
wildflowers. Down near the stream separating their property
from their neighbor's, she loved to catch the tiny toads she
had named "micro-toads." And, her dad had built the kids an
awesome tree house in the huge black walnut tree in the back
yard. The twins' friends always loved to come to their house.

As the kids ran up the porch stairs, an enormous Maine

Coon cat lifted his head to greet them, from his favorite
wicker chair. He stretched, arched his back, then plopped his
front paws down on the floor of the porch while his
hindquarters remained on the chair.

"Hey Nicky, I see you had another hard day, didn't you?

Huh, kitty?" Aidan chuckled and reached out to the cat, who
answered with a soft "Mmmrrraaa." Nicky wandered over and
was rewarded with an ear rub from Aidan.

Nadia fished out her keys from her backpack. "Mom said
she'd be back about five and asked that we get started in the
attic when we got home. The 'Big Brother, Big Sister' truck is
coming tomorrow and Mom said she wants to clear some of
that stuff up there." Nadia sighed.

Aidan headed for the kitchen. "First things first. I'm
starving. My stomach thinks my throat's been cut."

Nadia laughed. He could always make her laugh. "I'll
head up – can you bring me one of those blueberry muffins?

Oh, and bring some black garbage bags." She took the stairs
two at a time.

The huge attic was three flights up, above the second
floor, reached by a steep staircase at the end of the hallway.

Her mom and dad dreamed of converting the attic into a
media room, office, or playroom. But, she and Aidan liked it
just fine the way it was and had played up there since they
were little kids. Putting on plays was a favorite pastime and
the trunks full of clothes from many generations was like
having their own Hollywood wardrobe department. One wall
consisted of endless shelves of books and boxes crammed full
of even more books were stacked nearby. A trunk full of
games and toys that no one had looked at in years sat open on
one side of the vaulted space. Then there were the odd
miscellaneous items no one could manage to toss: an ancient
rocking horse, a dressmaker's dummy, an ornate headboard,
an old painting or two, some tired old braided rugs. All
gathering dust and awaiting their fate.

"Why don't we just rent a big dumpster?" Aidan spoke
through a mouthful of peanut butter, so it came out a bit
garbled.

"That kind of destroys the point of giving stuff away to
people who could use it, don't you think?"

Aidan handed her a muffin and looked around. "Yeah.

But, honestly, this house has been in the family for over a
hundred years, why does Mom want it sorted out today?"

Twirling her long dark hair, Nadia clipped it up on top of
her head, then dropped to her knees in front of another old
trunk. "Some of my favorite books are here." She dug around.

"I just found A Wrinkle in Time. That goes in the keep pile."

The twins sat down in the shaft of sunlight from the
window. As they ate, the quiet was broken by a sudden, raspy,
cawing sound.

"That's not from the window – that sounded like it came
from in here! Is there a bird trapped up here?" Nadia hopped
up to investigate.

"Better make sure the door is shut to the stairs, or Nicky
will eat it."

They heard it again. "Graa, graa."

Nadia followed the sound, which took her to the far
corner of the attic, where an antique cheval mirror stood. Its
glass was smoky with dust and the silver backing so oxidized
that her reflection always looked like an old tintype
photograph. She looked around for the bird, but a subtle
movement in the mirror caught her eye. Was Aidan behind
her? No, he was still sitting by the window licking the last of
his sandwich off his fingers. She whirled back to the mirror.

Just as she began to wipe the dust off the glass with her hand,
she jerked back and gasped.

"Uh... Aidan. Aidan, get over here... quick."

The tone of her voice had him up in a flash and hurrying
to join her.

"What is it? What's going on?" He focused on the mirror.

Nadia's eyes were huge as she gaped at the old mirror.

There, in the glass, was the shimmering image of what
appeared to be a very old man. Wizard-like, he was tall and
lean with a long, gray beard. A spark of light reflected from
his eyes but she could not make out his features. A deep hood,
topping the long brown robe he wore tied at the waist, cast a
shadow across his face. He held a gnarled wooden staff in one
hand and a large black bird was perched on his shoulder.

Suddenly the old man moved! He raised one hand, palm
outward and reached slowly toward them.

The kids tripped over each other as they pulled back away
from the incredible sight.

"Geez, Aidan, what on earth? Who... what is that? Is this
a trick? Is there a camera in here?"

In the mirror, the old man and the raven shimmered in
and out of focus like a rippling reflection in a pond, and then
they both vanished. Aidan and Nadia were frozen, staring and
blinking in disbelief at the dusty old mirror.

Then, they heard the back door slam and their heads
snapped in the direction of the sound.

"Hey, Aidan, Nadia, I'm home. Where are you?"

It was their mother's voice and she was heading up the
stairs.

They looked quickly back at the mirror but all they saw
were their own reflections. But, in front of the mirror, a single
black feather appeared before their eyes. For an instant, it
hung suspended in the air, then floated gently down to rest on
the dusty wooden floorboards at their feet.

Chapter 2

"Up here, Mom." It came out as something of a croak, so

Aidan cleared his throat and tried again. "We're in the attic."

Genevieve Shaw appeared halfway up the attic stairs. She
stopped and peered through the railings.

"Hey, guys. How are you getting on up here? Huh, you
both look like the cat that ate the canary. What are you two up
to?"

"Uh, nothin', Mom." Nadia gave a bright smile. "We've
been sorting through books."

"Good, that's great. But, can you come down and help get
dinner going? Heather's making a salad; I need you to set the
table. I had a client run late... Dear me, what a list of health
problems she has. Oh, and your dad will be home early
tonight." She turned back down the stairs.

"Ok, be right there." Then Aidan added, under his breath,

"Dad home early? That's a first." He turned back to see Nadia
still staring at the mirror. "Good save, Nadia, fast thinking."

She still looked stunned. "Aidan, what on earth was that?

Please tell me I’m not crazy… that I didn't imagine that. You
saw it too… right? Aidan?" She turned to see if he was paying
attention. She hated it when he didn’t answer her. "You saw
the old man in the robe and the big bird, right?"

Aidan nodded, his face serious. Nadia knew he was more
intrigued than scared. In his usual analytical way, he was
thinking, hard. She watched as he studied the front and back
of the mirror and all around it on the unfinished walls and
rafters. "I don't see anything anywhere up here that could
have created that image. And it couldn’t have been a
hologram, anyway..."

"Because a hologram doesn't move like that?"

"Because a hologram doesn't drop real feathers. And there
is no projector – we'd have seen the beam of light." Aidan
reached up to feel all around the top of the mirror and down
its sides. "Plus, this is a mirror, not a screen… you can’t
project an image into a mirror."

"What are you looking for?"

He stepped back from the mirror and shrugged. "No
idea... I just can't figure it out and it's going to bug me. Why
would someone go through this trouble just to mess with us?"

He looked around at the rough walls of the unfinished attic,
then called out, "Hey, whoever is videoing us, you better not
post it online anywhere!"

Nadia slowly shook her head. "What if it's real, Aidan?

What if there is an old wizard trying to tell us something?

Wouldn't that be the coolest thing?"

Aidan rolled his eyes and shot her a you've-got-to-be-
kidding look.

They stood quietly, mystified.

"I wonder if it will happen again..." Aidan gave her a
devilish grin.

"Aidan, Nadia!" Their mom's voice held that dreaded I'm-
not-going-to-say-it-again tone. The kids hurried down the
stairs.

In the kitchen, their older sister Heather was chopping up

Romaine lettuce and the twins grabbed silverware and set the
table. The kitchen was full of soft early-evening light and
good smells emanated from the big sauté pan where onions
sizzled gently in olive oil. Nadia's mouth began to water.

The mudroom door opened and their dad, Dr. Michael

Shaw, came in, lugging his bulging briefcase in one hand and
a big bag of files in the other, which thumped against the
doorframe as he entered the kitchen.

"Hi Gen, hi kids." His voice sounded tired. He
disappeared into his study, a big butler's pantry that had been
co-opted and transformed into a compact but comfortable
home office. They heard him sigh and the bag of files hit the
floor.

She might not admit this to her girlfriends, but Nadia
actually loved the ritual of their family dinner, with everyone
around the table once a day. Normally, Nadia would regale
them with tales of happenings at school or after school events.

Even something as ordinary as a trip to the mall was an
excuse to entertain and she knew how, instinctively, to
recount it all in great detail and with considerable animation.

She loved that she could get everyone laughing.

Tonight dinner was less lively than usual. This was often
a time when everyone talked at once, but tonight Heather did
most of the talking, seemingly oblivious of the undercurrent
of preoccupation at the table. Her best friend Judith (although
she insisted on being called "Judessa") had dyed her hair... yet
again.

"I wonder if it will all fall out this time." Heather
laughed.

Even Nicky was there, lurking quietly under Aidan's
chair, hoping for a covert handout. For a cat, he wasn’t picky;
he even ate cheese. But, Nicky was out of luck tonight. Aidan
was clearly distracted and Nadia knew he was still trying to
think of a logical explanation for what happened in the attic.

She wondered why her mom was quieter than usual. And
her father was in what had become his new default mood:

distant and preoccupied.

Heather got up and grabbed her favorite creamy ranch
salad dressing from the fridge. "Dad, you want some?" Her
father did not even look up. "Hey, Dad, you OK?"

"Not really, sweetheart." Michael spoke for the first time
since he walked in the door, except for "Thanks," and "Pass
the salt." "I’ve been waiting for weeks for the final results
from the latest compound we’ve been working on. They
finally came through today and they’re no better than any of
the dead ends we’ve worked on for the last year. It just seems
like there isn't anything new out there anymore. Wondering
what this means for the Project."

"What do you mean?" Nadia chimed in between
mouthfuls of her favorite garlic mashed potatoes. "I thought
people sent you dirt and bits of plants from all over the
world."

Her dad's smile brought his tired face to life. "They still
do, honey, but it’s not like the old days. We used to open those
packages feeling pretty confident that we'd find something in
them we’ve never seen before, something with potential. But,

I honestly can’t remember the last time we cultured anything
that we haven’t seen 100 times before."

"You mean there’s no diversity in plant life anymore?" It
was Aidan’s turn. "Or less, anyway. We learned about that this
year in biology. Hundreds of species are going extinct every
year."

"That’s right, Aidan." Michael had shifted to soapbox
mode. "The planet has become a very small place. There’s
hardly a square foot of it that someone hasn’t stepped on."

Their father had been so distant lately it was good to hear
him talk about the Project again, with a bit of passion. "The

Project," as their dad always called it, had run like
background music for their entire lives. It was practically part
of the family. From the moment Nadia was old enough to
understand, she'd heard the stories about Grandma Catherine,
how she had died of some mysterious disease no one had ever
seen before. She knew how important this was to her dad, that
he had built a career focused on a cure for this deadly bug.

"We don’t seem to have learned any lessons from the
mistakes of our past. We dump garbage in the ocean with little
or no concern for the creatures that have to live there."

Michael was on a roll. "We pump pollution into the air, we cut
down incredibly lush diverse rain forests to plant corn to feed
cattle."

Michael realized that he had launched into his favorite
rant. He smiled at his family and put the fork he’d been
driving his points home with down on his plate.

Gen started clearing the table. "You guys are finished
with exams, right?"

Aidan grinned and sang out, "Yup, Free-du-um!"

Heather shook her head. "Geez. Lucky you. I still have a
humongous physics final. Why on earth did I take physics?"

Her mom started to speak, but Heather cut her off. "I know, I
know, the whole become-a-doctor thing."

Her mom chuckled. "Yes, there is that."

Heather turned toward the door. "Ok, gang, I am off to

Carrie's – she and Judith and I are cramming. Bye, all." She
gave a wave and headed out.

Her mom gave a little wave to her daughter's retreating
back. "See you later honey, don't be too late." As Heather took
off, she turned to the twins. "What about you, Nadia? What's
left for you – exams and all that?"

"A PILE," Nadia said with a groan. "Does that get me out
of dishes?"

Her mom put her hands on her hips in mock outrage.

"Ok, I lied," Nadia admitted. "I'm done. That biology
exam today was the last. Phew. I think I did well."

"Honey, you've been applying yourself much better this
year. Well done. We're proud of you." Gen turned back to the
sink and leaned down for the dish detergent. She suddenly
turned back to the twins. "Oh, I nearly forgot. There's a book
reading and signing at the bookstore Saturday afternoon –

Grandma Liz thought you guys might want to be there. You
know, that woman who wrote The Power of Twins."

"Sounds good." Aidan juggled a pile of plates and
silverware over to the counter. "Uh, Mom, I think I'll work
some more on those books in the attic tonight... Want to help,

Nadia?"

"Sure!" Nadia popped the last plates in the dishwasher.

Their mom said, "That's great, you two. Thank you." She
gave them a skeptical look. "Never thought it would be that
much fun working in the attic... "

The kids just grinned at her and headed up the stairs.

Up in the attic, Nadia was drawn, as if by a magnet, to the
old mirror. Aidan, hard on her heels, first checked that no one
was following them, then closed the attic door at the bottom
of the stairs. Joining his sister near the cheval mirror, he
reached into an old trunk and yanked out an old torn T-shirt
long since relegated to rag duty. He started wiping the mirror.

Decades-old dust swept away easily, but his reflection was
little improved. The silvering on the back of the glass was
tarnished and flaking and was, after all, the reason the mirror
was in the attic and not downstairs in use.

Nadia said, "Hmmm. Poor old mirror has certainly seen
better days, hasn’t it?"

"Yeah, it’s a real mess. This helps a bit, though, look at
that. I just took it from piece of junk to plenty good enough.

Just wanted to get a better look at it."

Nadia caught herself gnawing on her thumbnail and
yanked it out of her mouth. She'd been working hard to stop
the nervous chewing of her nails and cuticles and was hard on
herself when she caught herself backsliding.

Aidan was still studying the old mirror. "You know,
there's no way someone could have rigged this mirror without
disturbing all that dust."

The twins stared at each other for a moment, then back at
the dingy glass.

Nadia shrugged. "Well, I just can't believe it happened.

Did we take a nap up here or something and dream it?"

Suddenly, they both drew in a sharp breath. The image in
the mirror was distorting and flexing. It looked like the ripples
from a pebble tossed in a pond, but in reverse. Concentric
rings converged in the center and the ripples got smaller and
smaller until an image slowly came into focus. It was the
same old man, who seemed suspended in a dusky gray cloud,
like smoke, which billowed all around him.

"Oh, Aidan." Nadia gasped and stepped closer to her
brother. "It's happening again..."

As she grabbed her brother's hand, the image intensified
and sharpened into focus. The old man raised his hand and
pointed toward them with his index finger. Then he began to
slowly move his finger in little swirling motions as if he were
writing in the air. The kids were rooted to the spot, hardly
breathing. Through the smoky mist, they could see writing, of
some sort, appear in front of the old man. It seemed to drift
through a cloud and settle on the inner surface of the mirror’s
glass, where it slowly came into focus.

"What does it say?" Nadia asked. "It doesn’t mean a thing
to me… it doesn’t even look like our alphabet."

When the old man lowered his arm, the writing continued
to appear for a few moments, as if it had a very long way to
travel. He stood still, as if waiting. Watching them.

Nadia dropped her brother's hand, looking quickly
around. "We need something to write with. Quick – I know
you have a photographic memory, but we have to write that
down, somehow!"

The image of the old man began to dissolve, leaving only
the cryptic message behind. Then it, too, slowly started to
wane, in the undulating smoke, threatening to become nothing
but a memory.

Quick as a flash, Aidan reached into his pocket for his
cell phone and grabbed a couple of shots of the mirror with its
strange, unintelligible writing.

"Wait, sir, please come back. Tell us what this means. We
can't read it!" But, Nadia’s pleas hung in the still attic air. The
old man and the writing were gone. What was, an instant ago,
a window to another world was again just a shabby old mirror.

As the twins stood staring at their own shocked
reflections, they could ever so slightly detect the faint smell
of smoke.

Chapter 3

"Where's my backpack? Hang on... forgot something."

Aidan ran back up the porch steps into the house. When he
reappeared, he was folding an 8 x 10 piece of white paper in
half, then quarters, and jamming it into his jean's pocket.

The kids headed off in the direction of town.

"I know we agreed that we can't even tell Grandma Liz,"

said Aidan. "But, I thought about it all day. I know she might
be able to help, somehow. I want to ask her about the weird
writing, but I don't want the rest of the world to see it."

Nadia stopped up short. "You didn't print out the picture
did you? We can't show her that!"

"I know, I’m not an idiot. I traced it." Aidan had not
stopped when she had and now she hurried to catch up.

"How'd you do that?"

"I printed out the jpg, large, and then traced it onto a
piece of printer paper."

"Wow, cool," Nadia said and grinned. Her brother always
impressed her. She often said, "Aidan knows a lot of stuff
about a lot of stuff." And she wondered how he did.

The twins continued the half-mile or so to Corvid Books.

Their Grandmother's bookstore stood proudly on historic

Main Street in the village of Cold Spring, New York, a small
community on the Hudson River, about an hour north of New

York City. Famous in the 19th century for West Point Foundry
and arms manufacturing, it was now a quaint little town full
of antique shops, galleries, ice cream parlors and cafes.

Although the town was often heaving with tourists in the
summer, that night, at 5 o'clock on a Friday in June, the street
was peaceful.

As they neared the front door of the bookstore, Aidan was
still musing. "We can't let anyone else know about this. It has
to be our secret."

"Absolutely," Nadia agreed. "Because if it is real–"

Aidan tried to jump in. "But–"

"Hang on, hang on," Nadia said. "If it is real, the grown-
ups will take over and they'll cut us out of it completely.

They’ll probably even take the mirror away."

Aidan gave a nod of agreement. "And if it’s not real and
someone is jerking us around – which seems pretty likely at
this point – we’ll end up looking like fools."

He pushed open the heavy wooden door to the bookstore
and the old brass bell attached to the top announced their
arrival. Nadia waited while he held the door open for two
women, laden with shopping bags, as they left the shop. She
glanced up at the big sign over the door, with the carved black
bird under the title, Corvid Books.

"Look, it's a crow's head. I never really noticed before."

"That’s a raven," Aidan said. "All the birds that are
similar to ravens like crows and jays are called Corvids, but
the raven is the biggest of them all. They're very smart, kind
of the King of the Corvids."

Once again, not surprised that Aidan knew weird stuff,

Nadia just raised an eyebrow.

Aidan continued, "Grandma Liz told me she named the
store "Corvid Books" after the raven. She said the raven, in

Celtic mythology, was the shape-shifter, and a guide in
supernatural events. When I looked it up online it said,

'Expect magic.'"

Nadia stepped closer to Aidan and asked, softly, "And the
bird we saw in the mirror?"

"That was a raven, too."

"So cool," she breathed.

Crossing the threshold of Corvid Books, it always felt to

Nadia that she was stepping back in time. As if you might see

Washington Irving himself, reading to kids from Rip Van

Winkle, in a big overstuffed chair under a window. The creaky
pine floorboards had gaps between them and the building
itself smelled a little of dust and mildew and old paper. All the
previous owners of this shop had resisted updating it for at
least the last hundred years. Hardwood bookcases lined the
walls. Their arched tops and frieze moldings lent an old-world
look and feel and the shelves were so ancient they were worn
smooth in the middle. The bookstore was a maze of different
levels and spaces; turning a corner, through an arched
doorway, yet another nook appeared. Up a step here, down a
ramp there, every trip to Corvid Books was an adventure.

She spotted her grandmother, talking with a woman in the

Yoga and Meditation section and started toward her. It was
hard to miss Grandma Liz, she always stood out, in her
vibrant clothes and jewelry. Today, she was all in turquoise
and black, with huge silver and turquoise jewelry, in the
southwest American Indian style. With her long skirts and
piles of silver arm bangles, she managed to look glamorous
and yet like an aging hippy at the same time, Nadia thought. A
glamorous hippy. Perfect! But, it was more than her clothes
and jewelry. Grandma Liz sort of filled the room, somehow.

What her dad called a big personality. Nadia smiled to herself.

She sure is that, she thought.

As the customer turned away, Liz spotted the twins
approaching. "Hey! How are my favorite twins?"

Aidan grinned – this was a ritual. "I bet you say that to all
the twins."

She hugged them warmly. "Not a chance, buddy. This is a
nice surprise – I didn't think I was seeing you till The Power
of Twins book-reading. You're coming, right?"

"Sure are, Aunty-Gran, sounds fun," Nadia said. "But, we
came by today because we need your help with something."

"'Aunty-Gran.' My, I haven't heard that in a while! OK,
what can I help you with?"

Aidan hesitated. "Can we go up to your office?"

They trudged up the winding stairs, only having to stop
twice while Grandma Liz talked with someone. A record,

Nadia thought. The rest of the way, she chatted merrily, about
the upcoming author visit.

"You guys will love the book – the author has twins in her
family, too. But, I know she doesn't have as many twins as we
do. Does anyone?" Liz chuckled.

There really were an unusual number of twins in their
family tree. The Discovery Channel had even approached
them for an interview about their family. They had hinted
about including them in an upcoming documentary special on
twins.

In her office, their grandmother plopped down in the big
leather chair behind her cluttered desk. "Ok, here we are…

shoot. What's up?"

Aidan pulled the folded piece of paper, now pretty
crumpled, out of his jeans pocket, and handed it to her. "Do
you have any idea what language this is? We’ve never seen
anything like it. Figured you might know..."

Liz glanced at the paper only briefly before flipping it
over and spreading it smooth on the top of her desk. "It's
reversed. It's a mirror image."

The kids shot each other a look.

Liz then held it up to the light for them. "See? Look at it
from the back, through the paper."

"Ooh, what's it say?" Nadia peered closely at the writing
and tried to read it aloud. "Breeth-noo."

"I think it is "Bre-ath-noo." Liz got up and strolled over
to a bookcase on one wall and ran her finger along some big
reference books until she found the one she wanted. "It's Irish,

I'm sure of that, but don't know what 'breathnu'

means."Scathan' is 'looking glass,' or 'mirror,' as I recall."

The kids shot each other another look, which Liz caught
out of the corner of her eye.

"Where did this come from?" Liz juggled the large book
over to her desk and sat down to take a closer look.

Aidan's voice was nonchalant. "Oh, it’s just something we
found online when we were looking up Irish myths and
legends."

"Ah, here we are, I found it. 'Breathnu.' It means

'observation.' Hang on, as a verb it's 'Look at.'" She thumbed
through more pages. "Hmmm, and since 'scathan' is 'looking
glass' or mirror, I think the whole phrase means 'Look in the
mirror.'" She looked back and forth at the twins and smiled.

"Does that help? Do you need it for something?"

"No not really," Aidan said quickly. "It just bugged us that
we couldn’t figure it out and we knew you could help.

Thanks, Aunty-Gran."

Liz gave them a thoughtful look. "I wonder what you kids
are up to. Now, don't try to look innocent, it doesn't fly with
me." She smiled. "Sometimes I wish I could read everyone's
mind, like you do, Nadia."

"Everyone’s but yours, Aunty-Gran." She smiled back as
she hugged her grandmother.

Liz waved them off, wrist bangles jangling. "Great to see
you, but I have to get back downstairs."

"Thanks, Aunty-Gran. See you Saturday." Aidan grabbed
the paper, stuffed it back in his pocket and the kids took off
back down the stairs.

"Look in the mirror, seriously?" Nadia mocked. "What
kind of a stupid message is that? We were looking in the
mirror. I don’t think he’s a wizard, I think he’s an idiot." She
yanked the shop door open and headed out to the sidewalk.

"I need some time to think." Aidan’s face was scrunched
up with concentration. Nadia knew he'd drive himself crazy
working on it. She didn't have as much patience – her mom
told her so all the time. She sighed. Come on, Nadia, she
thought, we're missing something.

The twins headed home, silent for a block or two.

"You know, I used to think I couldn't read Grandma Liz
because there was nothing to read." Nadia spoke slowly,
searching for how to put her thoughts into words for her
brother. "You know what I mean, like she was an open book,
no secrets. But... I'm starting to think I might have been
wrong about that. When I try to reach her on that level,
nothing happens. It’s not like I get through and I don’t find
anything, it’s like I just can’t get through. Like there is a
block or a wall." She looked over at him. "Do you get
anything from her? Do you ever try anymore?"

"Nah. You know I don't have your gift."

"You used to, Aidan."

"Yeah, but only with you. I never could read other
people." Aidan shrugged. "It might have just been
coincidence, anyway."

Nadia knew he accepted her reading people because he
loved and respected her. But, he really thinks it's hokum, she
thought. And Dad played it down and often joked with Aidan
about it. It used to hurt her feelings, but she was used to it,
now and besides, eventually they would see that she was
right!

Dad said something else that was cool, she remembered.

He said between Aidan and Nadia, they were one whole brain:

Aidan's was the scientific side and Nadia's the intuitive side.

Grandma Liz, however, explained it differently. And she was
quite serious. She always said she and Aidan were synergistic,
or "greater than the sum of the parts." When Aidan asked her
what that meant, she replied, "You are one. Nadia is one.

Together you are three."

Something about that felt right to Nadia. They were very
close and understood each other, often without even speaking.

Be that as it may, she and her twin brother were different in
many ways. They looked different, thought differently,
behaved differently. She had fine dark brown hair and deep
blue eyes while he had thick wavy light brown hair and brown
eyes. She was intuitive; he was rational, logical. She was

impulsive, he thought things out first. As for this whole
strange event in the mirror, Nadia was ready to believe that
magic had happened. She hoped it had! Not her brother; she
knew it would be very hard for him to accept.

Nadia said softly, "Hmmm... Look in the mirror."

Aidan was quieter than usual for the rest of the way
home. "What are we missing?" he muttered.

Nadia tossed it around in her mind. Oh, she was so
disappointed. On the way to see Grandma Liz, her
expectations had been so high. She had no idea what the
writing meant but had hoped it would be a clue that would
lead them to the next step in this mystery. Instead, what they
found out seemed like no help at all. In fact, it seemed
deliberately pointless.

Aidan muttered, "I hope this isn't an elaborate hoax that'll
come crashing down around us." He paused, looking
thoughtful. "But you know, there's something really nagging
at me. The more I try to pin it down the more it is gone."

"Well, you know what Mom always says. Don't work at
it, think about something else and it'll come clear."

As they climbed the porch steps to the house, Aidan said
over his shoulder, "Meet me in the attic when everyone's gone
to bed. We have to figure this out."

Chapter 4

The twins stood facing the old cheval mirror.

"Well, I looked up those words, myself, after we got
home and Aunty-Gran is right – about what each word means,
anyway. But, maybe there is more than one way to look at the
whole phrase... I can’t wrap my head around it yet. Could
there be some other meaning?" Aidan had used translation
sites online and "Breathnu ar an scathan" was definitely Irish
and meant, "Look in the mirror."

Aidan and Nadia had said good night to everyone early,
then hung around their rooms, waiting until the house was
still. It seemed to take forever, but finally, they saw their
parents' bedroom light go out and they tiptoed up to the attic.

Aidan held up his cell phone for light and gently stopped

Nadia from flicking on the attic light switch. She nodded and
gave him a thumbs-up.

Staring into the old mirror again, Nadia whispered, "Ok,
so here we are. Looking in the stupid mirror." She chewed on
the cuticle of her thumb, then caught herself. She tucked her
thumbs inside fists and held them down at her sides,
determined not to start that again.

There was a sudden movement in the mirror and the old
man began to materialize. He looked haunting and ghostlike
in the hard small light from the cell phone. The raven was
again perched on his shoulder.

"We don’t understand, sir. The words said, 'Look in the
mirror.'" Nadia spoke directly to the figure in the glass. "But,
we are looking in the mirror. What are you trying to tell us?"

"You are in the mirror – is that it?" Aidan asked.

The figure did not reply. As they stared, he slowly raised
the long staff in his hand and the raven gently lifted off his
shoulder and flew directly toward them. The twins ducked,
instinctively, just as the large ebony bird penetrated the plane
separating reflection from reality, passing through the mirror,
right into the attic itself. It was now physically present and
still coming toward them.

Aidan and Nadia tumbled back onto the floor and they
could feel the breeze from the bird's wings as it passed over
their heads. Aidan's phone skittered across the attic rug and its
light went out. As they jumped to their feet and peered around
in the darkness, they could make out the raven, standing on a
pile of boxes behind them, as real as they were. His jet-black
feathers gleamed in the moonlight streaming in through the
attic window. Only a small patch of white on his neck broke
the shiny black coloring. Nadia looked back at the mirror, but
the figure had vanished. The raven, however, remained.

The twins were stunned. Aidan took a step toward Nadia
as if to protect her, but Nadia did not feel afraid. She was
startled and excited, to be sure, but was more in awe than
frightened.

Just as she was wondering what their next move should
be, the bird hopped down to the attic floor and waddled,
unconcerned, between the two of them to the base of the
cheval mirror. The kids shuffled back a bit, eyes wide in
wonderment, giving it some space.

The raven began to peck gently at the base of the mirror.

Then he turned and looked at them for a moment, before
turning once again to continue its pecking.

Aidan spoke softly, "What on earth is he doing now?"

Nadia stared at the bird. "Look how he keeps looking
back at us."

She moved carefully toward the mirror, trying not to
spook the raven. Aidan positioned himself between his sister
and this strange bird. Then he reached for his sister's hand and
as his fingers closed around hers, the old man reappeared in
the glass as though stepping out of shadow. This time, he took
half a step forward and, leaning on the staff with one hand, he
pointed with the other down at the iridescent bird at the base
of the old mirror.

Letting go of Nadia's hand, Aidan threw his arms up and
asked, "What? What do you want us to do?" The figure in the
mirror just receded and faded once again.

Aidan and Nadia stood frozen, eyes locked on the raven
for a few moments more. It stared directly at them, head tilted
to one side as though it had been waiting for them to pay
attention, then pecked three measured pecks on the base of the
mirror. Turning back to them, it stretched its wings and lifted
off the attic floor. Nadia sucked in a breath, but together the
twins held their ground. Just as the bird reached eye level, it
disintegrated. It gently burst into a shower of glittery
particles, evaporating as they drifted down, never reaching the
attic floor. Like silent fireworks in the night sky.

Speechless, they stood still while the attic slowly returned
to its normal dark dusty condition, as if nothing had ever
happened. Then they heard the sound of water running in one
of the bathrooms.

"Yikes," Nadia whispered. "What are we going to tell
them if they find us up here in the middle of the night?"

"Shhhh. Just hold on, it's probably nothing. We don't
know that they heard anything."

They stayed still, waiting for a minute or two. There was
silence.

"That was close," Nadia whispered. "They must’ve gone
back to bed."

Aidan quietly picked up his phone and pressed the on
button. "Good." He sighed. "It isn’t broken. Geez, Mom and

Dad would kill me if they had to buy me another one."

Using it as a flashlight, he knelt down to look at the spot
where the raven had been pecking. He ran his hands over the
smooth wooden base.

"You've been over it and over it and not found anything.

Come on, Aidan, we should get out of here." Nadia was
starting to get nervous. "I’m afraid Mom and Dad are going to
catch us and want to know what we’re doing. Come on,
tomorrow is Saturday – we can mess around up here all we
want during the day. It would be a lot easier to explain."

Downstairs, Aidan flopped down at the kitchen table.

However, Nadia couldn't sit. She felt restless, shaken and
even though it was June, a bit chilled.

"Want some hot chocolate?" Nadia didn't wait for an
answer from her brother; she knew he was miles away, but
would drink whatever she put in front of him.

The clank of the saucepan on the stove roused her
brother. "That raven was real," Aidan said. "He was real... Oh,
man." He jumped up and joined Nadia in front of the stove
and peered over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Can you grab me the whisk?" Nadia asked, over her
shoulder.

"Sure... What's a whisk and where is it?"

Nadia rolled her eyes. "Over there." She pointed toward
the big white hutch near the table. "It’s in the hutch."

"Oh." Aidan started for the hutch, then suddenly stopped,
whirled around, hands up to his forehead, his eyes wide.

"What?" She was watching that the milk didn't boil over
and trying to watch Aidan.

"In the mirror… In the mirror!" he said. Nadia just looked
at him. He was grinning and held out his hands, palms up, as
if it was perfectly obvious. "Of course, why didn’t I think of
that before?" He shot out of the kitchen at a near-run and
headed for the stairs.

"Wait for me, where you going, what are you talking
about?" Nadia flicked off the burner and raced after him.

"Wait," she whispered again. "Will you please stop and talk to
me? What are you doing?"

Pausing briefly at the top of the stairs, Aidan waved hard
for her to be quiet as he listened for any activity from the rest
of their sleeping family. Hearing none, he was off again and
scurrying toward the attic stairs, with Nadia right behind him.

As quickly and quietly as they could, the twins slipped up the
last flight of stairs to the attic and stood in the beam of
moonlight before the mirror.

"For crying out loud Aidan, will you please tell me what
you’re doing?" She was breathless and irritated.

"His words were 'Look in the mirror.' It means look in the
mirror."

"I dare you to say it one more time." Nadia was actually
clenching her fist.

"Something has been bugging me, nagging at me, and
then it hit me!" Aidan shifted his focus back to the mirror. He
squatted down and ran his hands over, around and finally
under the wooden base, concentrating his search below the
very spot the raven had been pecking.

"In the mirror," he whispered as he felt around the mirror
base. "Maybe it doesn’t mean looking in the mirror like you
usually look in the mirror, maybe it means to look inside the
physical mirror!"

At that moment, Aidan’s searching finger found the
cleverly hidden trigger. Nadia heard a soft metallic click and a
small drawer, invisible a moment before, popped open about
an inch. She dropped down next to her brother, who had
already grabbed the front of the drawer with two fingers and
was sliding it open.

"There was a button underneath," Aidan said softly. "It
felt like the head of a nail but when I pushed it, it moved." He
continued to pull the drawer until it was fully open. It was
about a foot from side to side and front to back and four
inches deep. He used the cell phone once again as a flashlight
to get a better look.

The twins stared into the drawer. Inside, on a white satin
pillow rested an intricately carved stone object.

"Look!" Nadia breathed.

Aidan reached in and slowly removed the object. It was
made of black shiny stone and it was carved so that it looked
exactly the same from either end. On each end was an
intricate carving of a raven's head with one wing sweeping
back.

Nadia touched it gently. "Can I hold it?" Aidan dropped it
into Nadia’s hand and turned back to the drawer. He removed
the pillow, turned it over then back again, and squeezed it
here and there to see if there was anything inside it. Then he
leaned closer and looked into the drawer itself and ran his
hand into the back to feel for anything else. It was empty. The
only two things the drawer had contained were the satin
pillow in Aidan’s hand and the carved stone, in Nadia’s.

Nadia was still examining the stone. "Why did he want us
to find this? Where did it come from? Who hid it and why did
they hide it in this mirror? Wow, it's like finding treasure!"

Aidan nodded, "You're right. This whole thing is really
happening, Nadia. It's real. Man, this is so freaking cool!'

Nadia's eyes were still glued to the stone object. "You're
right, this is so exciting! How do we figure out what it is?

Should we ask mom or dad? We don't have to tell them about
the mirror, just that we found this up here? Or maybe

Grandma Liz knows... Grandma Catherine lived here before
us; do you suppose it was hers or Grandpa Art's?"

Aidan was shaking his head slowly. "I want to keep this
to ourselves for awhile, OK? It may be valuable, I know, and
we might have to tell them eventually, but let's just hang on
for awhile."

"Ok. And look," said Nadia. holding the stone out toward
her brother, "See how your hand fits around it. Like I'm
shaking a hand. Or, like the grip on the handlebars of your
bike."

Aidan grasped the stone from the other end. His fingers
slid smoothly into the contours and his thumb pressed up
against his sister's.

Nadia sighed. "I don't know how I'll sleep tonight."

They were silent for a few moments, each lost in thought
as they stared down at the mysterious stone they held between
them.

A shock of energy coursed through her and Nadia gasped.

"What the– ?" Aidan cried.

The energy grew and the next instant Nadia saw a giant
golden arc appear in front of her, sweeping her into its light. A
roaring sound filled her ears and everything around her
shimmered and morphed. Suddenly they were sucked along a
short gold path of light.

Then, just as quickly as it happened, everything settled
and came back into focus. The feeling of electricity in her
veins receded and Nadia took a deep breath. She quickly
looked around her and was blinded by the bright sunshine
streaming in the window. "Wait – what?" she exclaimed.

The twins, shocked, stared around the attic.

"What was that? What on earth's going on?" Hearing
voices in the distance, Nadia slipped quietly across the attic
floor, down the stairs and as quietly as possible cracked the
door to the second-floor hallway. Yes, voices were coming
from downstairs, from either the kitchen or family room. She
felt her heart beating double time. What was going on?

Something weird, that's for sure.

Aidan hurried down the steps and pushed in front of her,
listening at the door. "Why is everyone up?" he whispered.

They crept into the hallway, then tiptoed to the head of
the main stairs. Just then, Heather laughed out loud and they
could hear her friend Judith's voice, as well. With Aidan
leading, they continued cautiously down the stairs,
remembering to walk on the outer edges of the steps so they
wouldn't creak. Just as Nadia was considering simply calling
out to her family, she and her brother rounded the bend in the
stairs and could see down into the kitchen.

Aidan gasped and jumped back, stopping Nadia from
stepping out into full view of those in the kitchen. He
motioned "shh" to her with a finger to lips and pointed hard at
the kitchen.

Nadia gestured, "what?" with a palm toward the ceiling
and peeked around to see what had just shocked her brother.

There, sitting at the big wooden table, were Nadia and

Aidan, themselves! The twins, on the stairs, were looking at
themselves sitting at the kitchen table. This was just not
possible. Nadia's hand flew up to her mouth and her heart
stopped for a moment in her chest. She pulled back hard, so
not to be seen. Then she peeked out again, very carefully. No,
she did not imagine it; there was Aidan sitting at the table,
eating Cheerios. Heather and Judessa were stirring dough in a
large yellow pottery bowl and they could hear their mom's
bluegrass music playing from the other room. And yes, there
s he was, real as life, eating toast and honey in the kitchen.

She blinked hard, thinking her eyes were playing tricks
on her. Maybe she was looking at someone who just looked
like her. No such luck – there was no denying that Aidan was
sitting right next to her. She felt as if her brain had turned to
mush. She couldn't think straight. Fear tore through her and

Aidan looked like he was in shock; his hand was gripping
hers so tightly it hurt. What on earth was going on?

Aidan pulled Nadia back up the stairs. But, just as they
reached the second-floor landing, their mother stepped out of
her bedroom and stopped right in front of them.

"Hey you guys, what are you doing back in your PJs? I
thought you were already dressed." Still too dumbfounded to
speak, Aidan and Nadia just stared and shrugged at their
mother. Before they could come up with any sort of answer,
the phone in their mom's hand began to buzz.

"Hey Sis, I was just going to call you." There was a pause
while she listened. "Hang on a sec, Suze." She turned to the
kids. "Great news. Your Aunt Suzanne is fine with leaving

Monday for New Hampshire." The twins nodded. Their mom
gave them a funny, searching look.

"What's wrong with you two? You look like you’ve seen a
ghost."

Chapter 5

The twins raced back up to the attic. Fortunately, their
mom had headed down the hallway, intent on her call with her
sister, not waiting for a reply from them.

"I feel like I just stepped into a nightmare!" Though safe
for the moment in the attic, Nadia did not feel safe at all. "Tell
me that didn’t just happen." She was on the verge of tears.

"Please, Aidan, tell me what’s going on."

He took her by the shoulders. "Nadia, keep your voice
down. And you have to slow down – you're going to
hyperventilate. Please, close your mouth, breathe slowly. It's

OK, we are OK." He grabbed his cell phone and stared at it.

"What? You're going to play with your phone, now?"

Nadia wanted to shake him.

"I think I know... but it seems so impossible."

"Tell me!"

He cleared his throat. "I'm waiting..." He was still looking
down at his phone.

"What? What for?"

"I think we traveled through time."

There was a shocked silent moment. Nadia's mouth gaped
open again. "What?"

"Shh! Keep it down."

Nadia looked over his shoulder at the iPhone. "What are
you looking at?" She could see the date and time, displayed
on the screen.

10:14 p.m. Friday, June 16

As she stared, it suddenly changed.

10:14 a.m. Saturday, June 17

She blinked. Yes, it said Saturday, June 17. "No. No...

This says it is tomorrow. It's tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I think it is. The phone just updated itself."

Nadia sat down abruptly, feeling like she might fall down
if she didn't.

"If it is... OK, think about this for a minute. What's Mom
going to think when she goes back to the kitchen and there, as
big as life, are you and I sitting there, dressed? She's just seen
us on the stairs in pajamas..."

"Oh, Aidan, come on. Bigger picture. How do we get
home? How do we get back to... um... last night?"

"Don't know yet." He studied her face, which she was
sure must be white as a sheet. "We'll be OK." But, he didn't
look all that confident, she thought.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Nadia caught
herself speaking too loudly and dropped her voice to a frantic
whisper. "Are we stuck here? Do they catch up to us? Do we
catch up to them? I don't understand." She finished on a soft
wail.

"OK, calm down. We need to be constructive, here. We
are fine, Nadia, we're not in any danger. But, it happened
when we were holding this stone bird thing. We need to use it,
again, somehow and get back to last night."

"But, I don’t know how we did it the first time, so how
are we supposed to do it again?"

"First, we think it through," Aidan said firmly. He
sounded confident and that gave Nadia hope. "We remember
everything we did step-by-step."

She reached for the Ravenstone, as she now thought of it
and slipped her hand around one end. She held it out and

Aidan did the same and as he wrapped his hand around the
mysterious stone, their thumbs touched. They looked into
each other’s eyes, but there was no magic, only silence and
tomorrow’s sunshine streaming through the attic window.

"What do we do next? What did we do to make this
happen?" They stood there in thought, for a few more
moments, but then she couldn't stand the suspense. "What
happens if we don’t do anything, if we just stay here and
hide... and get some sleep? Will time eventually just merge
back together?"

"I don't know." Aidan shook his head. "What if that
doesn't work? There will be two sets of us... Besides, Mom
and Dad would wonder where we are in the morning when we
aren't in bed. We have to get back!"

"Maybe we should go down and tell Mom what
happened." Nadia was trying hard not to cry, but a tear slipped
down her cheek.

"And face ourselves? I have no idea what that might do –

I’ve never read a manual for time travel – but I am pretty
confident that should be one of our last options, not our first.

I’m not giving up that easily! We have to try everything we
can think of. Come on, let's figure it out. We did it once, we
can do it again... Close your eyes and remember."

Aidan said, "Picture last night. Pretend it's last night.

Let's see, what were we doing when the time shift happened?"

The kids were still, eyes closed.

"I'm not sure... it happened so suddenly," Nadia
whispered.

"I know." There was a silence. Then Aidan spoke again,
very softly. "But, now I just want to be back in the right
time."

She nodded. I just want to go home to the right time, to
my real time, she thought, another tear joining the first on her
cheek. I want to go back to last night, June 16, to the correct
time. She pictured the moment she first held the Ravenstone.

Suddenly they felt the electricity running through them
again and the golden arc appeared. The roaring noise
returned. And just like that, it happened. With a shudder and a
wave of dizziness, Nadia was drawn through the golden arc of
light. She shut her eyes for a moment and when she reopened
them, the sunlight that had been cascading across the attic
floor was gone. There was no sound. No voices in the kitchen,
no birds singing outside the house. Just the two of them,
holding the Ravenstone, in the moonlight.

Chapter 6

The next morning started early for Nadia. The events of

Friday night had left her drained. Finding the Ravenstone, the
shocking trip through time to Saturday morning, and the
frantic scramble back to "real time" had taken all of the wind
out of her sails. She tossed and turned all night and when
morning finally came, she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all.

To complicate matters, that sense of foreboding was there
again. Her sense was that it was different and separate from
the stress of travelling through time. She just couldn’t put her
finger on it and feeling exhausted wasn’t helping.

She gave up trying to sleep at about six o'clock when she
heard voices. Stepping out into the hall, she could tell they
came from her parents' room. Something in the tone of the
conversation made her sneak down the hall and listen outside
their bedroom. She didn’t even stop to consider that
eavesdropping was impolite or wrong, because she could
sense deep inside this was important and that it concerned her.

And Aidan.

She stood very still outside their door. She heard her dad's
voice.

"I just can't give it up, Gen. It is my life's work."

"Maybe you’ve done enough. Maybe someone else could
pick up the baton. I know how important the Project is to you,
honey, but is it possible it’s become... a bit of an obsession?"

His wife spoke gently and before he could respond, she asked,

"Are you sure it's worth causing such enormous upheaval to
the kids' lives?"

"It won't kill them. And they'll understand."

"I don't know about that, Michael. It will be very hard for
them."

Nadia's heart started to pound. What would be hard for
us? "Upheaval" to our lives? What is Mom talking about? Is
this the bad news I’ve been sensing?

Hearing one of them coming toward the door, she
scurried back to her own room, shutting the door quietly
behind her.

Later that morning, it felt very weird to be the ones sitting
at the table in the kitchen where they had seen themselves last
night, from the stairs. It was a bit spooky, even surreal, Nadia
thought, as she sat eating breakfast with her brother. Heather
wandered in, yawning and made a beeline for the coffee pot.

Then Judith (oops, Judessa, thought Nadia) arrived, sporting
her new purple hair. Nadia was amazed her mother let her do
it. She knew she'd get an earful from her mom if she dyed her
hair some weird color. Heather, her own natural ash blonde
tresses pulled up in a ponytail, measured out all the
ingredients for chocolate chip cookies.

"They're for tomorrow – Aunty-Gran is taking a bunch of
us to Ninham Mountain to see a stone chamber," Nadia
explained to Judessa. "And have a picnic."

"Sounds fun. But... 'Antigran...'? What's that?" Judessa
asked as she stirred the chocolate chips into the dough in a big
mixing bowl.

"Not 'what,' 'who. ' 'Aunty Gran.' That's what we call

Grandma Liz." Aidan chuckled. "She is our grand aunt and
also our grandmother..."

Aidan's brief explanation had not cleared anything up for

Judessa, that was for sure, thought Nadia. She grinned.

Judessa could do deer-in-the-headlights like she'd invented
the look and she was doing it now.

Aidan went on. "You see, Grandma Liz had a twin sister,

Catherine. Catherine was our biological grandmother. We
never knew her – she died when Dad was 15." He sneaked a
lump of cookie dough from the bowl and popped it in his
mouth before Heather could swat his hand away. "Anyway,

Grandma Catherine was married to Grandpa Art and a few
years after she died, Grandpa married Liz. That makes

Grandma Liz our grandaunt and our grandmother. So we call
her Aunty-Gran."

"Oh." Judessa swept a strand of purple hair off of her
face, not realizing she'd left a chunk of cookie dough on the
top of her ear.

"There's just no easy way to explain that one," Heather
laughed as she wiped the cookie dough off her friend's ear.

"But, it is very romantic, don't you think? Grandma Liz had
always been in love with Grandpa Art, but he married her
twin sister. She didn't marry for years – I wonder if she was
pining for grandpa?"

Aidan rolled his eyes.

Heather continued, her eyes dreamy. "But, after Catherine
died, Grandpa Art fell in love with Liz... "She looked at

Judessa. "Isn't that a great story?"

Nadia had remained quiet through this, which was
unusual for her. She was preoccupied. She kept hearing, "such
enormous upheaval to the kids' lives," over and over again in
her head. And lately she was aware of odd, distracted vibes
from her mom. She was scared to ask what was going on.

Might be best not to know. Plus, she was still trying to
process the whole time-travel experience. It all left her feeling
off-kilter. She was glad Nicky was on her lap. He rubbed his
face against her hand and his warmth and purr were
comforting.

Heather chatted with Judith but Nadia wasn’t listening
anymore. What next with the Ravenstone? She kept
reminding herself that it was not a toy and in fact, could be
quite dangerous. They had somehow managed to find their
way "home," but she wasn’t sure how. What if they held the
stone again and it whisked them away to some deadly time or
place from which they couldn't return?

They had replaced the Ravenstone in the drawer in the
mirror before they crept downstairs to bed. Aidan had said it
might be best to leave it there. At least for the moment. He
was probably right.

Nadia couldn't help but peer at the doorway leading to the
stairs from time to time. Would she see herself and Aidan
peeking around the wall into the kitchen? Would she hear

Mom talking to them on the stairs? Did it work that way?

She had to stop thinking about it or her head would
explode. She was sure, if she stopped thinking about it, the
answer would just come to her. OK. Best to think about
something else. Well, there was the upcoming summer
vacation to New Hampshire, to their other Grandmother's
house and they would have some fun with their cousins.

When her mom came into the kitchen from upstairs, she said,
without thinking, "Hey Mom, so cool that Aunt Suzanne can
take us up to New Hampshire on Monday. It's always fun with

Matt and Ryan."

She muttered a soft, "Ow!" as Aidan kicked her under the
table. She knew she'd screwed up the moment she opened her
mouth.

Her mom gave her a puzzled look. "I haven’t heard from

Aunt Suzanne. I was going to call her this morning to talk
about the trip. Did you talk to her?"

As if on cue, the cell phone in their mom's hand buzzed,
insistently. Gen answered it. "Hey Sis, I was just going to call
you." There was a pause while she listened. "Did you talk to

Nadia already? OK. Hang on a sec, Suze." She turned to the
twins. "Aunt Suzanne is fine with leaving Monday for New

Hampshire." The twins nodded. Their mother stared at them.

"How did you know that, Nadia?"

Nadia was a firm believer in the less-is-more method of
deflecting parental attention. She put on her best I-don’t-
know-face and shrugged. Her mom's gaze remained on Nadia
for just a second more, then, with a slight shake of her head,
she turned her focus back to her phone.

"Why does she always let you off the hook and always
think I’m hiding something?" Aidan whispered in Nadia’s ear.

"Because you are." Her grin turned to a grimace as he
gave her a playful punch in the arm.

A sudden movement from the window caught Nadia's eye
and Aidan turned as well. Just outside, on a large
rhododendron shrub, sat a big black bird.

Aidan said, "Wow, it looks like a raven, right there. Mom,
look."

As their mother ended her call, she turned to look out the
big picture window. "Yes, you're right. It's odd, though, we
don't usually see them this close to the house." She turned
back to the kids. "Did you guys know your dad had a raven
when he was in high school? He found the baby bird on the
lawn."

"Really? How come you never told us about that, Mom?"

Heather slid two cookie sheets full of cookies into the oven.

Gen remained at the window, watching the bird. "I didn't
know your father at the time, but I heard all about it. Your dad
found it the day after your Grandma Catherine died."

"She must have been pretty young if your dad was only

15. How did she die?" Judessa asked.

"It's weird, Jude," Heather said. "She was 44. She died of
a mysterious infection caused by a strain of bacteria no doctor
had seen before. It is quite famous in medical circles – the

CDC has saved samples of the bacteria and trials have been
done with drugs to look for a cure. That's what my dad's been
working on for almost 20 years. He's had a series of research
grants to find a treatment that is effective against that
particular strain of bacteria. Although he's worked with a
couple of drugs that looked promising, he hasn’t found the
cure yet…"

Nadia chimed in, around a mouthful of cookie. "The
weirdest part is that no one had ever seen the bacteria before.

Or since, as far as anyone can tell. Anyway, that's what made

Dad want to be a doctor, what made him specialize in medical
research."

"And of course it is a big part of why I want to follow in
his footsteps," said Heather.

Gen and the kids watched the raven lift off the shrub and
fly away.

Heather shook off the offer of a cookie, sat down and
made herself comfortable with a cup of black coffee. Nadia
couldn’t remember quite when Heather had stopped eating
cookies, but it was looking like she would never eat one
again. Nadia thought she was thin enough to have a cookie
once in a while. Why did some girls get so weird about being
thin?

Their mom left the window and came to join them at the
table. "Your father loved that raven. He cared for it, fed it,
nursed it. He kept his bedroom window open – he wouldn’t
keep it in a cage. The older it got, the longer it would take to
come back from its daily flights, but for a long time it did.

Then, just before he went away to medical school, it took off
and never returned." She paused for a moment. "Lots of folks
said it was his mother, Grandma Catherine, or at least sent by
her somehow, to ease his broken heart."

Aidan snorted under his breath.

"I know you think that's not rational, Aidan, but stranger
things have happened," his mother said.

Yeah, thought Nadia, like travelling through time.

"Hey, maybe this bird is the same raven!" Heather
exclaimed.

Judessa nodded. "That would be cool! If it came back, I
wonder if your dad would recognize it?"

Gen smiled. "I must remember to tell him. I don't think it
could be the same bird, though – it's been over 20 years."

Nadia and Aidan shared a look. Was this the raven from
the mirror? And if so, what was he doing outside looking in at
them?

"OK, guys, I have to get going." Their mom stood up
from the table. "Some errands to do." She grabbed her keys
from the hook by the door, then turned back to the kids. "Just
a head's up, you all need to plan on a half-hour family
meeting tonight after dinner – ."

Heather broke in, "Mom, it's Saturday night – I have a
date!"

Her mom continued, "OK, honey, we'll eat a bit early, like

5:30 or 6. It'll only take half an hour or so . Your dad has some
news..."

"What, Mom? What's going on?" Nadia felt her stomach
clench.

"We’ll talk about it tonight. See you later, guys."

Chapter 7

Nadia wished their mom had not forewarned them about
the family meeting. While they sometimes had meetings to
announce good news, that was more the exception than the
rule. Meetings usually meant a problem, something to be
talked through. But, arriving at Corvid Books that afternoon,

Nadia was determined to try to focus on the event. The book
they were going to hear about was entitled, The Power of

Twins, after all. Right up their alley.

The bookstore was humming. Nadia loved this place. Her
dad told her that in this era of e-books, Corvid Books was a
nexus for people who never bought into the electronic book
age. He was one of them, Nadia knew. Reading for him had to
involve an actual book with pages to turn. Aidan said Dad was
just showing his age, that he was stuck in his ways, but Nadia
really got it. She loved the feel of a real book, too.

When the twins arrived, their grandmother was already
into the presentation. A popular figure in town, almost
everyone who had lived in Cold Spring for any length of time
knew, or knew of, Liz Shaw and Corvid Books. She was
charismatic, Nadia thought. She should have been a movie

star, she certainly was beautiful enough. Nadia was thrilled
that sometimes people said she looked like her and had
decided if she ever had to be old, she wanted to be old like

Grandma Liz.

In her animated way, Grandma Liz was speaking to the
intimate gathering of about thirty people, which included
quite a few kids. "The phenomenon of twins has always
fascinated us. There is a degree of mystery, myth, even a
magical quality to it." She smiled as she surveyed her
audience. "There are several sets of twins here today,
including my own grandkids, Nadia and Aidan." She gestured
toward them.

"I love their names – look at this." She grabbed a marker
and wrote their names on a whiteboard behind her so all could
read them.

"See? Their names are like mirror images of each other.

Nadia is Aidan backward. And vice versa." The listeners
loved this – there were smiles all around. Grandma Liz
continued. "Pretty cool, huh? Their parents were clever!"

Grandma Liz continued. "Nadia and Aidan are not
identical. They don't look alike, as you can see. But, they are
very close and often even know what the other is thinking.

They were also born in June – their 13th birthdays were a
couple of weeks ago – under the sign of Gemini. That's very
powerful stuff. Gemini means twins."

Grandma Liz perched on a high stool, her long red skirt
flowing over it, almost hiding it from view. With her long
gray and black hair tied back with a red scarf and dangly
earrings, she looked almost Spanish. Except for her pale Irish
skin. She tucked a strand of hair that had escaped, back
behind her ear.

Looking down at her feet, Grandma Liz spotted two
young girls, about eight years old, sharing a large beanbag on
the floor. "But I see we do have a set of identical twins here
today." She grinned at them. They did look exactly alike: both
had blond curly hair and both had blue eyes and shy smiles.

"Identical twins can be astoundingly alike, but, they can also
be very different people from each other, with different
personalities. That sure was the case with my sister and me.

You see, I am an identical twin, myself. My sister passed
away many years ago, but I still remember what it's like to be
a twin."

Nadia knew even though Grandma Catherine and

Grandma Liz were physically identical, their personalities
were polar opposites. She loved how quirky, outgoing and fun

Grandma Liz was, but she had heard her whole life how

Grandma Catherine was reserved, quiet and sophisticated.

Yet, in pictures of them when they were young, you couldn't
tell them apart.

Grandma Liz went on. "There are quite a few other
identical and fraternal twins in our family, besides me – we
are absolutely riddled with twins!" She looked down at the
identical girls on the beanbag. "I make it sound like a disease,
don't I?" The girls giggled.

There were an extraordinary number of twins in their
family tree. Even Aidan and Nadia's parents were identical
twins. Having grown up with an aunt that looked just like

Mom and an uncle that looked exactly like Dad, Nadia was
used to it. Mom loved to tell people about the time Aidan had
made the kids in his English class laugh. The teacher had
asked him to use the word ubiquitous in a sentence. He had
thought for a second and said, "I have ubiquitous parents
because they seem to be everywhere at once."

Nadia had often wondered if both parents being twins
might have, in some way, contributed to the unique and
powerful connection she had with Aidan, that whole one-plus-
one-equals-three thing.

"Being a twin is sometimes quite magical, Grandma Liz
told her audience. "Did you know that for some twins, when
they are not together, it's possible for one of them to sense, to
know somehow the other is hurt or in danger? It's as if there is
a psychic connection. This is true for cousins of mine, one of
the sets of identical twins that litter our family tree." She
grinned down at the young girls again. "These twin cousins
have the gift of precognition. But, and here is the weird part,
it only happens for them when they are together, close
together. When they are touching, this ability, this
precognition, is doubled, or even tripled, in intensity. When
the two of them hold hands and focus, they often know things.

Before they happen!"

Nadia and Aidan stared at each other and Nadia mouthed,

"Wow!" Maybe this is what happened when they were close
to each other in front of the mirror, or holding the

Ravenstone. Did that strengthen whatever bond they had?

"Like what, Mrs. Shaw?" A young voice called out from
the back of the group.

"Well, my cousins knew their mom was going to be in a
car accident. They felt it was going to happen – at any
moment! They desperately tried to reach her to warn her, but
her cell just bumped straight to voicemail. Unfortunately, the
accident did occur. Don’t worry, there were no fatalities, but
their mom broke her leg and suffered other minor injuries.

But, the kids had known exactly when and where it was going
to happen."

Nadia had a hard time focusing when her grandmother
introduced the author, who began to read from the
introduction of her book. She was thinking about the magical
appearances of the old man and the raven and the strange
power of the Ravenstone. Were these things happening in part
because of their twin-ness? Did they actually have some kind
of power that was stronger when they were close together or
touching? If so, could they use that somehow?

Nadia couldn't wait to talk about this with Aidan. The
moment they left the bookstore, she blurted out, "The more I
think about it, whenever we were touching, or physically
close, the old man in the mirror was clearer."

"Yeah, and when we backed away from the mirror, the
image faded," Aidan said. "And the Ravenstone only works
when we are both holding it."

She nodded. "And then our thumbs touch..."

"Yeah, right!"

Nadia looked pensive.

Aidan said, "I know what you're thinking. What are we
going to do with it?"

"I know what I want to do with it. I want to try it again!"

Aidan stopped up short on the sidewalk and stared at her.

"I thought you were terrified of it!"

Nadia stopped, too, turned to face him and chose her
words carefully. "Well, you know when you are on a roller
coaster and it's racing up and down and you're scared out of
your mind? You're screaming your butt off?"

Aidan grinned and they started walking again. "But, once
you're off the ride, you run right back around to get in line to
do it again?"

"Exactly." Nadia didn't need to say more. He got it. "So,
we could go forward in time and see what high school and
college are like. Ooh, Aidan, we could see what lottery
numbers come up next week and go win the lottery!"

Aidan kept walking but rolled his eyes.

Nadia said quickly, "Think of all the people we could
help. We could give most of it to charity... not keep it all."

She looked at him hopefully.

"Hang on a minute. I don't think we've been led to the

Ravenstone to go win the lottery. As fun as that sounds."

Aidan grinned at her. "But I have thought of so many cool
times we could travel to and things we could see. We could go
back and see what Cold Spring was like during the Civil War.

Or, we could watch Henry Hudson sail up the Hudson River
for the first time..." His voice trailed off.

Nadia was in a world of her own, thoughts whirling
around in her head. "You know what would be awesome. How
about we go back in time and meet Grandma Catherine?"

"Whoa," he replied. "That’s a little close to home."

"Of course it is, isn't that kind of the point?" Nadia
looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"It’s too risky," Aidan said. "We can't alter even the
smallest detail of our own history. You know how every time-
travel story you've ever heard has the whole train of events
changing dramatically because of one small change the hero
makes?"

She nodded.

"Well, suppose something we do means Grandma

Catherine doesn't die? Then maybe, because of that, Dad
doesn’t become a doctor, doesn’t go to medical school,
doesn’t even meet Mom…"

Nadia’s eyes grew wide. "Oh yeah ... then we wouldn’t
even exist." Scrunching up her face, she grabbed Aidan’s arm.

"On second thought, let’s not do that."

Aidan said, "Anyway, we don't even know how to use the
stupid thing. I don't know how we got back to the present. We
almost didn't."

"Yeah, but we did get back, Aidan. We must be able to
figure out what we did, and do it again. Because we are
supposed to use it, don't you think?"

He chewed on his lower lip. "You could even go so far as
to say there's something we are supposed to do. We didn't just
stumble onto all this."

"Uh-huh," Nadia said, nodding. "The old man in the
mirror called to us, he came to us. There must be a reason."

"Yep." Aidan kicked a stone on the road and it clattered
off to the gutter. "The old man will come back and tell us
what this is all about..."

She nodded. They were quiet for a few moments. It was a
beautiful warm day in mid-June and the beauty of spring was
all around them. From a cloudless sky, the late afternoon sun
cast its soft gold across the lawns and flowering shrubs of this
lovely residential street, but the twins didn't see any of it. Lost
in thought, they walked quietly.

Then they both spoke at once.

"Well, in the meantime, shouldn't we try it again?"

"Until he does, how about a practice run–"

They laughed. This happened often: same thought, same
moment.

Chapter 8

Back at the house, Nadia called out, making sure their
mom and dad were not home, then followed Aidan upstairs.

He stopped to listen outside Heather's bedroom and mimed
that their sister was on the phone. That's Heather taken care
of, thought Nadia. How can she talk to the same friends every
five minutes? For hours and hours? She grinned as she hurried
up the attic stairs.

"Ok, we have to figure out how it works," Aidan said.

Nadia dropped down to the floor and reached under the
base of the mirror. It only took her a few seconds to find the
little button that Aidan had described. She pushed it and heard
the soft click as the hidden drawer popped open an inch. She
opened the drawer completely and pulled out the mystical
black stone. So, she hadn’t imagined the whole thing; the
stone was real and there it was… in her hands.

The two of them stared at it in silence for a moment, then

Aidan continued, "We have to know what we are doing and
we have to be able to do it every time –"

"And fast. I know..."

“No, not fast,” Aidan cut her off. He held her by the
shoulders for a moment and looked in her eyes. “If we hurry
we'll only make mistakes.”

“Ok... ok, I get it. Not fast.” Nadia had to resist her
impulsive nature. He was right even if he was a stick in the
mud. “Where was I? Oh yeah, what were we thinking when it
happened? Or what were we feeling – maybe that's it?"

"I think...," Aidan searched for the words. "I think it's like
biofeedback. It should get easier each time. It definitely
happened when our thumbs touched the first time even though
we didn’t do it deliberately. We must have been thinking or
feeling or wishing the same thing.

“Exactly!” Nadia snapped her fingers and smiled, “That’s
why it didn’t work right away when we tried to get back.”

“Scared and rushing, we were each thinking something
different and getting frantic. We weren’t focused.” Aidan
stared at the stone as he searched his mind.

"Yes. I think that's it. When we got back to the right time
last night, we were both saying how much we wanted to go
home to the right time..."

Suddenly Nadia felt, or heard the words, "One and one is
three." S he glanced at the mirror, but it was still. They were
on their own. But, she was sure she'd heard an old man's voice
in her head. Nadia said, "I think the twins thing plays in, you
know? The one and one is three piece about twins."

Aidan stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "But what
if we are wrong and we get stuck? Can't get back?"

"Then we will be right here in front of the mirror and we
will ask the old man to help us."

Aidan thought for a moment. "You're right. If we go
forward say, one year, to this exact time and day, here in front
of the mirror, then if there are problems we will ask the old
man, or shaman, or wizard, or whatever he is."

Nadia grinned. "You're on. Let's do it."

They agreed to have a quick look around, make sure no
one saw them, then come straight back, just to test that their
theory of how to use the black stone was correct.

Nadia's heart was racing, partly with excitement, and
partly with fear. She held the stone out to Aidan. He wrapped
his hand around it and his thumb slid up along side hers.

Aidan began chanting softly, "One year from today, same
time, same place. I want to go to one year from today." His
eyes were closed and she closed hers and tried to picture one
year from today, 2017, June 17, same time, 4:30 PM. Exactly
one year from today...

She felt the bolt of electricity, but it was much stronger
than the first time. It shook her, took her breath away, and she
found herself quaking with the power of it. She heard a cry
from Aidan and her eyes flew open. He was shouting, "Don’t
let go!"

A huge golden arc swept up over and around them and
everything within its reach glowed golden with its light. The
mirror beside them disappeared and the walls and trunks and
old floorboards of the attic fell away and vanished into the
arc's light. The golden glow shimmered all around them and

Nadia felt suspended in space as if she were lifted up off the
ground. The roaring in her ears seemed to come from the light
itself. A random thought struck her: a windless hurricane.

Then, as suddenly as it all started, the noise and brilliant
light were gone but it was a moment before the feeling of the
ground moving ceased.

"I think you can let go now." Her brother's voice brought
her back to earth. She drew a deep breath and let her eyes take
in the scene as her surroundings gradually came into focus.

She glanced down and realized she was still clutching the

Ravenstone so tightly her knuckles were white.

She caught her breath, but she suddenly gasped again. All
around her the attic was different. It was empty. Empty!

"What?" Aidan cried, staring around wildly, then clapped
his hand over his mouth. They must be quiet!

Well, not completely empty. The mirror, the trunks, the
old rugs and bookcases, all the piles of boxes, were gone. The
attic floor stretched out before them in a vast expanse. In all
their lives they had never seen it without generations of
family stuff piled everywhere. But, now there were studs and
beams, the beginnings of walls dividing up the space. Two-
by-fours and sheets of wallboard were stacked to the side and
tools were piled in a heap, waiting for their owners to pick up
where they left off.

"Wow! They are framing it out!" Speaking softly, but his
voice full of excitement, Aidan continued, "Mom and Dad
have been threatening to do something up here for years... to
make another bedroom or something."

He pulled out his iPhone. "Yes, we did it, Nadia! It's June

17, 2017! Awesome!"

But then his grin faded. "We better go straight back,

Nadia. The mirror isn't here. If we have a problem, we can't
ask the shaman. Hey, what's up?"

"Something's not right," Nadia said slowly. She had not
even heard the comment about the mirror. Something was up;
her intuition was sizzling. As she headed towards the attic
stairs, she said, "I need to just take a quick look."

"Careful!" Aidan followed her down to the door to the
hallway and they both stood for a moment, listening. When
they heard nothing, Nadia quietly turned the knob and peered
out. Silence. She whispered back to Aidan, over her shoulder,

"The table with that big flower bowl in the hall is gone, too."

She pushed the door open further and flinched when it
creaked loudly. They waited a few seconds and not hearing
anything in response to the loud creak of the door, they crept
noiselessly into the hall and dared to tiptoe along to the first
room, Aidan's bedroom.

He gasped. It was empty! No furniture, nothing! Just bare
bookshelves and wooden flooring. Even the blue and beige
curtains that their mom had put up over Aidan’s protests and
eye rolling were gone and the naked glass panes made the
room look lifeless.

"We're leaving this house? We're moving? Oh, no..."

Nadia's voice trailed off.

Aidan grabbed his sister's hand to pull her from the bare
room. They hurried down the hall, peering into Heather's
room, their parents' room, the bathroom. All empty. Cleaned
out.

Downstairs was the same story, except that the kitchen
and dining room were now one big room – the wall
connecting them had been torn down. It all looked so
different! Nadia felt the shock in every cell of her being. That
they could be moving, that someone else might come in to
their home and rip out walls, change their wonderful attic,
well, it felt like a tragedy. It didn't bear thinking about.

She felt sure she was going to cry, and that was not going
to help anyone. She swallowed hard, a couple of times, as she
followed Aidan into the new kitchen area. He was staring
down at a piece of paper he had picked up from the counter.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Our forwarding address. In Montgomery, NJ."

Before Nadia could react, she heard the thunk of a car
door shutting in the driveway. "Oh, no! Someone's here!" She
raced through the kitchen to the foyer heading for the stairs,

Aidan hard on her heels. Glancing as she ran, she saw through
the front window a man in work clothes and a very big black
dog just reaching the front door.

They didn't turn back to look, but raced up the stairs as
fast as they could. As they reached the second floor, they
heard the door open and the sound of scratching nails and
growling closing on them, fast. Nadia shot past the empty
bedrooms and through the attic door. Stepping aside to let

Aidan pass, she threw her weight against the door as she
pushed it shut. They both jumped at the sound of the growling
beast slamming into the door at full speed.

"Rocky, what's wrong with you?"

The man's voice, loud even from the front foyer, warned
them that they had mere seconds to get to the Ravenstone or
they would be caught. They raced up to the center of the attic,
where Aidan scooped the Ravenstone off the bare floor and
extended it to Nadia.

She grabbed the other end. She tried to focus. Go home.

The correct time. Go home. Oh, what was it she was supposed
to focus on?

Then she heard Aidan's voice, "One year ago today, same
time, same place." But his eyes were shut and his lips were
not moving. He hadn't spoken, but somehow she could hear
him. "One year ago today." She heard the words again in her
head. She took a deep breath, and repeated them softly to
herself, as she heard heavy footsteps in the hall right outside
the door to the stairs, amidst the cacophony of barking.

Just as the door opened and she heard the monstrous dog
scrambling up the last few steps, the blazing arc of light rose
up around them, along with the deafening sound of wind and
the shuddering feeling of electricity in her veins. She
welcomed it this time. It didn't frighten her! It was a weird
relief!

As the empty attic seemed to drop away, suddenly the
huge black Rottweiler was snapping and barking right at her
feet. And, for a split second, she could see the amazed face of
the builder they had narrowly escaped, as he stood in the
middle of their beloved attic.

At least, it used to be their attic.

Chapter 9

When the golden light, the noise, and the electric
sensations faded, the twins were back in the attic, near the old
cheval mirror. Aidan's phone confirmed they were back in

2016, at the same moment they left.

"We did it," he said, still out of breath from the race up
the stairs. "We were right – we both have to focus on it at the
same moment."

"But the empty house! Oh, Aidan!"

"I know...," Aidan said quickly. They heard the mudroom
screen door slam. "Let's talk later."

Sitting around the table, everyone was pretty quiet. Nadia
was convinced the family meeting that was happening right
after dinner was going to be bad news. She just knew it. Was
it anything to do with the empty house they had just seen?

Having that hanging over her head had pretty much ruined her
appetite. She caught herself gnawing on her thumbnail and,
exasperated with herself, grabbed her paper napkin and began
to wind it around and around her fingers. Anything to use up
the nervous energy.

She gazed around the table. No one seemed to be
enjoying the tacos, although it was one of their favorite
dinners. Distracted, even depressed, thought Nadia, that's
what I get from Dad. And nervous, that's what Mom feels
like. Her appetite now completely gone, she pushed her plate
away, rubbing her stomach gently, where a knot of anxiety
was forming. The big, brightly colored kitchen was her
favorite room in the house and usually made her feel cheerful.

But, not tonight.

When the plates were finally all in the dishwasher and
leftovers put away, her dad sat back down at the table and
they all followed suit. This is it, thought Nadia. Her heart
started to pound.

Her father gazed around the table at his family, sighed
and began. "You all know things have not been going well at
the lab." Indeed, they did, he talked about little else lately.

"Well, this past year has been one disappointing dead-end
after another."

Nadia wondered why they had to have a family meeting
to hear this. It wasn’t like they hadn’t heard it all before.

"This year’s results have been so below expectation," her
dad continued, "that the CDC has informed me they are not
going to fund my project anymore. Without their funding, the
company cannot afford the lab space or my time to keep
working on it. They are willing to keep me on in my capacity
as a senior scientist and team leader for other programs but
the Project is over if I stay."

Aidan made eye contact with Nadia and she sensed his
apprehension. He looked back at their dad and asked, "What
do you mean, 'if you stay?' Where else would you go?"

"I've been offered a position at a biotech startup company
in southern New Jersey." Their father paused. "They've
committed space and resources for my project to persuade me
to accept their offer."

Nadia felt punched in the stomach and a stunned silence
greeted her father.

"We know this comes as a shock and we waited until
there was no other choice. But we have to do this," their mom
said. "Your father's funding didn't come through... So we need
to make a change. It will take a bit of effort, but I can practice
in New Jersey and it is a very good position for your dad.

There are plenty of jobs for nurses and I can build a new
homeopathic practice on the side." Her voice was firm and
calm, but she spoke too quickly, filling the silence with
explanations.

Then all the kids spoke at once.

"But, Dad–," said Aidan.

"Oh, no, Mom, You guys kidding?" This was even worse
than Nadia could have imagined.

"Isn't there any other funding you can get?" Heather
asked.

"New JERSEY? Seriously?" Nadia was near panic. The
move, everything they had seen a year into the future, it was
all happening.

Their father held up his hand. "We know this is hard,
especially for you two," and he looked at the twins. "Heather,
you're off to college in September anyway, so this will affect
you less."

"But Dad, this is home. " Heather protested. Her normally
pale face had blanched, even whiter.

"I know, I know. Now, wait – hold on, everyone."

Everyone started to protest again. "You have to realize this is
hard for us too, believe me. This house was my mother's and
her mother's before that."

"You aren't going to sell it?" Nadia slammed her milk
glass down so hard that half of it sloshed out onto the table.

Her mom and dad glanced at each other.

"It may come to that," Mom said, "but we are hoping we
can rent it, so we could return in a few years... or someday."

"Someday?" Nadia shouted. " Montgomery, New Jersey? "

A new school, leave everyone, leave home and... everything?"

She burst into tears.

Her mother and father stared at her, then her mom spoke
firmly, "Now, Nadia – "

"Well, I am not going. I'm not. You can't make me! You

CAN'T!" Nadia wailed. Jumping up from the table, she
stormed from the kitchen and raced up the stairs.

* * *

An hour later Nadia was curled up, on her side, on the
bed, amidst a pile of rumpled sheets and quilt. Nicky had
tucked himself next to her, his head on her arm. He was
purring like a tractor and as she stroked his soft fur, she
whispered, "Oh, Nicky, it's awful, just awful." Big tears
squeezed out of her eyes to drop on the pillow.

She heard her bedroom door open and peeked up, hoping
it was not her mom or dad. Oh, good, it was Aidan. She sat up
with her arms full of warm cat, who let his head roll back but
kept right on purring. Nadia wiped her eyes with the back of
her hand. "I'm not going. I'm not. "

"I know."

There was a silence.

"It stinks, doesn't it?" Aidan said.

"Big time. Oh, Aidan." Nadia's eyes filled up again and
she brushed hard at the tears. She stood up, abruptly, plopping

Nicky down on the bed. He let out a little mew of indignation.

She paced back and forth on the rug. "What are we going to
do?"

"Well, I don't know yet..."

It was very close to dark outside and the bedroom was
gloomy with shadows. Aidan flicked on the lamp next to her
bed and Nadia winced at the sudden brightness. He sank
down on the edge of the bed and Nicky, ever the opportunist,
grabbed the chance to jump into his lap with a soft

"Mrrroww." Aidan absentmindedly rubbed the big cat's back.

"I need to think about this," he said. "And maybe we
should talk to Grandma Liz. She must know about it and she
might have some ideas." Aidan paused. "And I have an idea,
too, but it probably won't work, so don't get too hopeful. What
if we could stay with Grandma Liz and Grandpa Art, at least
for a while... maybe until we're out of middle school?"

Nadia sniffed and reached for a tissue. She blew her nose,
hard. "Sounds great, but do you really think Mom and Dad
would let us stay that long, if at all?"

"I don't know. It would put off moving right now, but
eventually, we'd have to go."

Nadia knew what it meant. It meant she and Aidan would
have to start high school in a whole new town, away from
everyone they knew. And, they'd have to leave this house, the
only home either of them had ever known.

She watched Aidan set his jaw and she knew he was
determined not to cry, that he wanted to be strong for both of
them. Well, she thought, they would just have to find a
solution. There must be one, there always is.

"I feel like I'm going to explode. Seeing it in the future
was one thing, but now, hearing them say it… it makes it so
real." Nadia flopped down next to him and they were silent.

Almost joined at the hip, the twins could be quiet with
each other, with no need to "fill space," as their mom called it.

For them, silence was never awkward. Having each other near
was an enormous boon to their lives and they knew it. They
were never lonely, never had been. They had been snuggled
up in their mother's womb together and had seldom been far
apart since. They were each other's best friend. There were
moments when they could practically read each other’s minds,
although Aunty Gran and Mom said Nadia seemed to be able
to read anyone’s mind.

After a few moments, Aidan took a deep breath. "Well,
let's focus on the here and now. You know what Mom always
says about trying to stay in the present moment..."

Nadia grumbled, "Yeah, but the present moment stinks."

Aidan threw her a look and laughed.

"We'll figure it out, we always do. And, we have each
other. Remember what Grandma Liz says – we are greater
than the sum of the parts."

"You're right... So, what is one plus one, Aidan?"

"Three." he answered with a halfhearted smile.

* * *

It was some time before Nadia could fall asleep. Her
mom had come in to talk to her, to try to calm her down,
before bed. Nadia didn't really feel angry anymore and
nothing was said about her defiant outburst at the table. Her
mother didn't even mention the odd fact that Nadia had known
about Montgomery, New Jersey.

She wasn't able to help Nadia feel any better, though.

Nadia had grown up aware of her dad’s lifelong dream and

The Project. She didn't need it explained to her again. But, her
mom told her, once again, he had to go where he could
continue to pursue that goal. Nadia's peevish, "Well, maybe
he should go alone and come home on weekends," earned her
a harsh look from her mother.

Then, when she finally drifted off to sleep, the old man's
face from the mirror returned repeatedly to haunt her. All
night, she drifted through a surreal dreamscape: a jumble of
strange indecipherable words, which melted into giant black
birds, which in turn morphed into Nazgul winging over

Mount Doom. The old man's wrinkled face appeared again,
this time, transformed into a Mordor-like wasteland awash in
menacing marshes. Overhead loomed dark swirling clouds.

Then, one last time the shadowy hooded figure appeared. This
time, as he raised his head, the face inside the hood was her
father’s and she began to cry. She whispered, "Daddy, I want
to go home."

She awoke with a start, when it was still dark, tears still
wet on her face.

Chapter 10

After that haunting nightmare, when Nadia woke in the
morning, she felt oddly calm and at peace. Her first thoughts
were: We aren't moving. It's not happening.

She blinked away the cobwebs and as her sleepy brain
woke up, she wondered if she was high on wishful thinking,
or deep in denial. She had seen the empty house with her own
two eyes. But, this knowing-things-before-they-happen thing
was not very reliable and, if the events of the last few days
had taught her anything, the future is a moving target.

She sat up and stretched, then slid carefully out from
under Nicky, who was sleeping sprawled out over her leg.

Mustn’t Disturb The Cat. From her vantage point in the
hallway, it seemed the entire family was still asleep, even her
parents, who were generally early risers. Aidan's door was
closed and she heard no sounds from his room. Of course, he
often woke early and lay in bed reading or surfing the web on
his phone before he got up. That was how he learned all that
stuff he knew. She tapped, very softly, at his door, but there
was no reply.

The attic door called to her. Hmmm, she thought. Why
not? Just a look... Tiptoeing up the attic stairs in her stocking
feet, Nadia approached the old cheval mirror. She stood in
front of it for a few moments, but all that looked back was her
own reflection. There she stood, blinking at herself in the
tarnished mirror: a young girl in a wrinkled lavender
bathrobe, puffy eyes from last night's crying and her dark hair
mashed into a serious case of "bed-head." No old wizard and
no raven.

As Nadia gazed at herself, her mind drifted and she
wondered, if she and Aidan had been identical twins would
they look like Nadia or like Aidan? Would she have been

Aidan’s twin brother or would Aidan have been her twin
sister? She couldn’t imagine life without her brilliant brother,
just the way he was, so she stuck her tongue out at herself and
chuckled.

She dropped down to the base of the mirror and retrieved
the Ravenstone. She turned it over and over, studying the
carvings and the molded places for her fingers. Then, without
consciously deciding to, she suddenly stuck it under her
bathrobe and hurried back down to her room. She closed the
door softly and popped the Ravenstone into her backpack. She
thought it would be fun to have it with her today, where she
could look at it... But, maybe she wouldn't tell Aidan about it.

After breakfast, when Grandpa Art drove up in the Prius
to pick them up, Aidan and Nadia were already outside,
waiting. The atmosphere in the kitchen, at breakfast, had been
a little tense, to say the least. Their mom had been trying to
put a bright face on things. Much good that did. Nadia felt
better outside.

"Hey, Grandpa," Aidan said.

Their grandfather climbed the steps to the porch and
grabbed a banana from the wicker basket on the table.

"Hey, Aidan, hey Nadia, All set?"

"Hi, Grandpa Art." Nadia took a banana as well. She
figured that a bit later on this morning she might regret not
eating breakfast. "Where's Aunty-Gran?"

"Picking up some kids in the other car – we'll meet her
out there."

"OK," replied Aidan. "Uh, Grandpa, have you heard the
news?"

Art looked knowingly at Aidan. "You're talking about
your dad’s job, then?"

Aidan nodded.

"Your dad is a good man. When it comes right down to it,
he’ll do the right thing."

"I know he’s a good man," Aidan said with just a touch of
exasperation. "It just feels like he’s doing what’s right for
him, not what’s right for anybody else."

"He's in a very tough situation. If he follows his heart, it
will affect all of you. But, if he does what is best for the
family, he goes against everything he has dreamed of his
whole life. Goes against the very driving force of his life. It's
a hard call."

They were silent for a few moments. Aidan nodded
slowly. Nadia chewed and waited. She knew Aidan was
leading up to the big question.

"Do you know who Yogi Berra is?" Grandpa was always
quoting people Nadia had never heard of. She wasn’t sure
where he was going with this and how it could possibly figure
in, but Grandpa was like that sometimes.

"Kind of," Aidan replied. "Didn’t he used to play for the

Yankees?"

"That’s right!" His grandfather was clearly impressed.

"He was a great baseball player, but he was also famous for
saying smart things in funny ways." Grandpa Art turned to
face the twins. "And if he were here right now do you know
what he’d say?"

Aidan and Nadia shrugged.

"He’d say, 'It ain’t over till it’s over.'" Grandpa smiled
and winked.

Nadia glanced over at Aidan. She wasn’t sure if Grandpa
knew something she didn’t or if he was just trying to make
them feel better. It wasn't really working. But Aidan looked a
little brighter. Here it comes, she thought.

"I've been thinking, Grandpa. Do you think... I know

Mom and Dad won't like it, but do you think..." Aidan took a
breath and just said it. "Do you think Nadia and I could live
with you and Grandma Liz?"

"Now, Aidan, I don't know about that – "

"Maybe just through next year? We'll have to start at a
new high school, anyway, after that..." Aidan's voice trailed
off.

Grandpa Art grinned. "Well, you know I'd love it, your
grandmother too. But, I don’t think your mom and dad would
be too happy about it. And they would probably say 'no.'" He
stroked his beard. "Tell you what. Let me think about it and
talk to Grandma Liz and your folks, OK?"

"OK, thanks." Now Aidan definitely perked up. Maybe he
felt better thinking Grandpa Art was on their side.

Aidan climbed into the passenger seat of the car while

Nadia raced back into the house. She returned in a moment
carrying her purple backpack and jumped into the backseat.

"Why do you always get shotgun?"

Her brother shot back, "Why do you always forget
something?"

Nadia reached over the seat and gave Aidan a poke as
their grandfather pulled away from the curb.

* * *

"Thanks for coming to Ninham Mountain with me! This
area is the center of one of the most magical places in North

America." Grandma Liz sat on one of the picnic tables, her
feet on the seat as she faced the small crowd of a dozen or so
kids and two or three parents. "I'm going to tell you a little
about it, here, before we head up the trail. Ninham Mountain
is the highest point in Putnam County. The early settlers
named it Ninham Mountain after Daniel Ninham, the last
chief of the Wappinger tribe."

Nadia smiled at Aidan, who nodded. She remembered he
knew a lot about the Wappinger tribe, having written a paper
for American History this last semester.

Grandma Liz continued. "To the Wappinger people this
mountain was sacred. They believed that near the top there
was a portal to another world and at certain times of the year
they could communicate with that other world – or even enter
it."

"What other world?" Nadia called out.

Grandma Liz flashed a brief smile at Nadia. "Good
question. No one knows for sure. Some say it's accessed via
the stone chambers up here. How many of you know there are
over 500 mysterious stone chambers in the northeast and most
of them are right here in the area surrounding Ninham

Mountain?"

A few kids put their hands up, including Nadia and Aidan,
who had often heard about Ninham Mountain and the stone
chambers from their grandmother.

Jeremy, one of Aidan's friends from school, called out,

"What's a stone chamber, Mrs. Shaw?"

"Perfect question, Jeremy. Come on, I'll show you." She
hopped up from the picnic table and brushed off her jeans,
knowing they’d rather look at a stone chamber than hear
about one. "You can leave your packs and other stuff, but
you'll want your cameras. And bring a bottle of water, it's a bit
of a hike!" She started up the forest path leading from the
grassy meadow.

Nadia tossed her backpack over her shoulder and she and

Aidan hurried to catch up.

"Why are you hauling that thing up the trail?" Aidan
asked.

Nadia whispered, "Tell you later."

The kids hiked along the pine-needled path, through
ancient hemlocks, maples, and pines. It was cooler under the
trees and Nadia loved the smell and feel of the soft pine-
needle bed under her feet. One of her girlfriends, Melinda,
was just ahead of her, trying to use her phone as she hiked.

Nadia nearly bumped into her a few times as her friend
slowed on the trail.

"You won't have much of a signal up here, Mel."

"You're right." Melinda sighed and popped her phone into
the pocket of her jeans. "Hmmm, we really are out in the wild,
huh?"

For half an hour or so the kids followed Grandma Liz up
the winding path and Nadia started to feel someone was
adding stones to her backpack. It got heavier and heavier. Just
when she felt she would simply have to stop and rest and have
some water, they rounded a bend in the trail and popped out
into a tiny meadow. There, all the kids were gathering around

Grandma Liz, near the opening to what looked like a cave.

"That must be it!" Nadia hurried nearer the group. Aidan
caught up and they drew close to hear what their grandmother
was saying.

"Stone chambers are like caves, built into hillsides,
usually with very large capstones, that form the ceiling, like
this one." She pointed to the huge stone over the doorway of
the cave-like opening. "They were built so long ago there is
no written record of who built them or why."

"What’s so special about them?" One of the kids was
peering through the dark doorway.

"Let's go inside – the sun's hot out here." Liz led the way
in.

One by one, the kids ducked under the capstone into the
darkened space inside. The interior was a cool reprieve from
the heat of the sun. They gazed around, taking in the hard,
bare earth floor and the huge stones that made up the walls.

The area was larger than it looked from the outside, about 10
feet wide and 15 feet long.

"It's so big in here," Aidan said from near the door. He
and Nadia were the last to enter the chamber and they
remained near the opening.

Grandma Liz responded. "Yes, some of them are pretty
large. And that's one reason why it seems a bit much to accept
what many people say: that these are root cellars built by the
early settlers." She gestured around the expanse of the interior
of the stone-walled cave. "Geez, that would be a lotta roots."

The kids laughed.

She continued. "Still, that's the ongoing explanation by
the naysayers. But, there are also many people who think they
were built by ancient Celts who sailed to the New England
coast hundreds of years before Columbus. That brings me to
another reason I have a hard time believing they are root
cellars: why were they built so the sun shines directly in the
doorway on the summer solstice?"

"You mean the first day of summer, Mrs. Shaw?"

"That’s right, Josh." Grandma Liz smiled at the freckled
boy who had asked the question. "Ancient cultures considered
it to be a holy day. Also, there is something else kind of eerie.

Strange things happen to a compass near the entrance to some
of these chambers. They seem to go a bit wild. Like there is
something magnetic, something inexplicable, that happens."

Near the doorway, Nadia opened up her backpack to
retrieve her camera and as she looked in, she drew a quick
breath. She poked Aidan and beckoned to him. She moved out
through the door, to stand just outside and pulled the
backpack open so Aidan could peer in.

"Look."

There was the Ravenstone, but something was different
about it. It was glowing in the dark recess of Nadia’s
backpack, shining a slightly reddish gold color, as if it were
hot.

"What the...?" Aidan whispered.

"Shh..."

He stared at it and then at his sister, then quickly popped
the flap over her bag, so no one would see. They silently
moved back through the doorway to the edge of the group.

Their grandmother was in full flow. "Many people
who’ve hiked these grounds at night have reported strange
lights that flash out of the ground. And popping sounds like
someone walking on twigs – even when no one is there." Her
small audience seemed engrossed at the possibility of
mystery, of something paranormal or unexplained to do with
these caves. "Even the skies above Putnam County are famous
for the number of confirmed UFO sightings."

A pretty blond girl near Grandma Liz piped up. "Can we
stay till tonight and see if something weird happens, Mrs.

Shaw?"

Grandma Liz laughed. "Your mom and dad would be
pretty upset with me, Kylie, if some aliens came to get you
while you were up here!"

"But, it would be awesome. " Kylie and her friends
laughed.

Grandma Liz motioned for the kids to follow her. "OK.

Come on, enough with aliens and spooky stuff, let's go eat."

She headed for the woodland path toward the meadow, where

Grandpa Art and the parent volunteers were laying out the
picnic.

Aidan whispered to his sister, "Hang on, let them go on."

As the last of the kids disappeared down the path, Nadia
flung open her backpack.

Aidan stared in at the glowing Ravenstone. "Wow. I can't
believe you brought it!" He reached in and touched it quickly,
as if checking a hot iron. Then he grasped it and pulled it out
into the light.

"I know! It's warm! And look at it glowing!" Nadia was
excited. "I wonder what that means..."

Aidan began to respond but suddenly whipped around to
look back at the stone chamber. Nadia saw a flicker out of the
corner of her eye and she gasped. There in the doorway of the
chamber, floated an image, shimmering in waves, as if in
water. Even as she moved toward it, with Aidan beside her,
the thought struck her that it looked a little like the giant wavy
portal in Stargate.

The watery image stilled, slowly, and the old wizard from
the cheval mirror came into focus. While the twins stood
watching, mesmerized, a montage of images played like a
movie across the watery doorway.

First, the old man's image faded and in its place, the twins
could see two kids, about their own age, dressed in old-
fashioned clothing. The young girl wore a long pinafore dress
laced across the front, shiny black shoes and a ribboned straw
hat covering her blonde ringlets. The boy wore a rather stiff-
looking gray jacket, knickerbockers with knee socks and
boot-like shoes. In the image, they were standing outside the
door of what appeared to be the very chamber where the kids
were now standing.

Why are we seeing this? Nadia wondered. What did this
have to do with us? Then she saw they were holding a black
object and Aidan grabbed her wrist at the same moment. He
must have seen it too! It was the Ravenstone!

Next, the entire image dissolved and after a moment, in
its place appeared a woman, wearing a billowy cotton
nightgown with lace edges. She was sitting on a carved four-
poster bed, sheets pulled back as if she had been in bed. She
was gazing down at what she held in her hands. She, too, was
holding the Ravenstone! As Aidan and Nadia watched, she
slowly pulled herself up from the bed, holding onto the
headboard for a moment, as if for balance. She looked ill,
very pale, and weak.

As the woman turned, Nadia could see her face. She
looked liked pictures she had seen of Grandma Liz when she
was younger. Could they be looking at an image of their
grandmother from years ago?

As if reading her thoughts, Aidan whispered, "That's

Grandma Liz!"

In the watery image, the woman stumbled slowly over to
the cheval mirror – their cheval mirror! Then she slowly knelt
down and reached under it, just as they had. The drawer
slowly slid open and Nadia could make out the white satin
pillow, inside. The woman gently placed the Ravenstone
down on the pillow.

Nadia's hand flew up to her mouth.

Before they could react further, the image of the woman
dissolved. It shimmered and settled and they could begin to
make out a bearded man, in leather breeches over which he
wore a boot-length brown cape clasped at the shoulder with
an intricate brooch. The hood of the cape was drawn up over
his head and Nadia tried to see his face – who was this? Why
were they seeing him?

The man in the image slowly knelt down under a birch
tree, to pick leaves of a low-growing plant. He got to his feet,
holding a handful of the leaves, which looked like ferns in
shape, but they were black. He carefully tucked the leaves
into a tan-colored pouch made of what looked like deerskin,
hanging from his rope belt. Again, he knelt down for more
leaves.

"Aidan, Nadia, where are you guys?" It was Grandma

Liz, her voice carrying through the trees. She was not yet in
view, but coming closer.

Suddenly another voice, a deep voice, spoke in Nadia's
ear.

"Come to Mystery Hill."

She jumped and swung around, thinking someone must
have crept up behind her. Aidan had jumped, too, so clearly he
had heard it. But, there was no one there, just Grandma Liz,
now in view, approaching on the path.

"Come to Mystery Hill." The voice said, again, but more
softly, as if from a distance.

Aidan suddenly whispered, "The Ravenstone! Nadia,
quick, hide it!" Realizing the black stone was visible, quick as
a flash, she stuffed it down in her backpack.

But, not fast enough. Grandma Liz had stopped dead,
there on the path and was staring at them. Her eyes fixed on
the backpack, her face was white. Her mouth fell open.

There was a silence, then Aidan called, "Hey, Aunty-

Gran, we were just coming."

Grandma Liz did not respond. She stood, still as stone,
both hands covering her mouth. She was staring at the
backpack in Nadia's hands.

Nadia was suddenly flooded with sensations, like
vibrations and words popped unbidden, into her mind. "There
it is! Where did... All this time? How on earth?!" She realized
these were coming from her grandmother and even weirder,
she found she could identify the emotions behind these
phrases as well. They came to her one after another like
hammer blows: shock, fear, desire, loss, grief, guilt.. .

Wait, guilt? Why would her grandmother feel guilt?

Before Nadia could figure out what to think or do next, her
brother spoke.

"I'm hungry, Aunty-Gran. Let's go." Just as if nothing had
happened, Aidan walked toward his grandmother and took her
arm. Grandma Liz seemed to recover herself, somewhat, at
his normal tone. She reached up to brush her thick hair back
from her face and dropped her sunglasses from the top of her
head into place over her eyes. The two set off down the path.

Nadia could hear Aidan chatting about the stone chamber,
how fascinating it was.

Nadia had always encountered some sort of wall when
she tried to "read" Grandma Liz. But, today, it was different.

She was still stunned by the rush of thoughts and emotions
that had poured into her. Over her? At her? She couldn't tell.

She had been able to read people before, but not like this.

Nothing like this.

Chapter 11

"Aunty-Gran said there was power in the stone chamber.

Boy, if she only knew..." Aidan shook his head, as he plopped
down at his desk.

"Yes, it was so awesome," Nadia replied. "All those
images, floating in the doorway. And the Ravenstone, it was
glowing."

It was later that Sunday evening and Nadia was perched
on the edge of Aidan's bed, while he booted up his computer.

He had some Googling to do, he said. Their parents were
safely ensconced in the den watching Masterpiece Theater,

Heather was out, and the kids had grabbed the opportunity to
put their heads together. They hadn't had a moment to talk
privately until now, what with the picnic and just too many
people around.

"I wonder... did the Ravenstone empower the stone
chamber...?" Aidan asked.

"'Or did the stone chamber empower the Ravenstone?"

Nadia shrugged. "And who were those kids in those funny
clothes? And why was he showing them to us? And what were
those funny black fern-like leaves the man was picking? What
does that mean? And what's Mystery Hill? Did you hear that,
too?"

Aidan nodded.

"I knew you must have heard it," she said. "And man, oh,
man, Aidan, I got a boatload of emotions off of Aunty-Gran
when she saw the Ravenstone. I've been dying to tell you all
evening!"

Nadia got up and paced around the room. "I’ve been
trying my whole life to read Grandma Liz and have been
banging my head on a wall. Now, finally I break through and
it was like walking into an avalanche!" Nadia stopped and
turned to face him. "There was incredible sadness. And fear.

Isn't that weird? Fear. And guilt... I mean seriously, guilt?"

Aidan stopped what he was doing on the computer and
turned to look at her. "Guilt?"

She nodded.

Aidan said, "Wait, what? When you saw her face when
she saw the Ravenstone, you got fear and sadness and guilt?"

She nodded again, then resumed her pacing.

Aidan said, "That's strange. What does she have to feel
guilty about?"

"I know, right?" said Nadia, "Then just like that, she was
back to normal. She acted like she didn’t have a care in the
world, all afternoon. She was eating and drinking and joking
around like nothing had happened."

Aidan nodded. "Well, she definitely saw the stone. And
yeah, it was weird her acting all normal and stuff."

"Yeah. And how did you act so normal when she got all
shocked and pale?"

Aidan gave a little shrug and turned back to the computer.

Nadia plowed on. "I mean, you were so cool. I was
freaking out and you just took her arm and wandered down
the path with her, chatting away about the chamber. Blew me
away. I couldn't get myself together that fast."

She plopped down on the bed and patted Nicky, who had
tucked his head under her hand to have his ears rubbed. "Just
so bizarre to have finally broken through that wall of Aunty-

Gran's." She paused, her eyes far away. "I was wondering if it
has something to do with the Ravenstone."

Aidan turned to her suddenly, his eyes opened wide.

"Thinking the same thing! Maybe that we are using it, or
holding it or something?"

"Or maybe that we traveled through time with it? Why
would I suddenly be able to read Aunty-Gran now?"

Aidan shrugged and shook his head. "Why is all this
happening to us? We said the shaman would have to come
back and tell us more and he did! Sort of… but what does it
all mean?"

Nadia shook her head. She pulled Nicky up into her arms
and buried her face in his fur.

Aidan said, "Well, let's think about it. We know Grandma

Liz knows about the Ravenstone. We did see her in the images
in the doorway. That was her. So, she has seen it. She has held
the Ravenstone before!"

Nadia held up a hand. "Wait a minute. Hold on! What if
that was Grandma Catherin e we saw?"

Aidan stared at her.

Nadia continued, "She was sick. The woman in the image
was sick, wasn't she? And Grandma Catherine was Grandma

Liz' identical twin. It could have been her!"

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Aidan said. "Hey,
why do you always think I am the smart one? Yes, I think
you're right. Makes perfect sense."

Nadia could almost see Aidan's brain working, feverishly
trying to add things up.

"Geez, that could mean..." He paused and took a breath.

"OK, how about this? Grandma Catherine hid the stone.

Clearly, Grandma Liz saw it in your hand today. What if they
found it, held it... and did what we did?"

Nadia sat up suddenly and drew in a sharp breath. "You
mean... Could she and Grandma Liz have time-traveled?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Aidan turned back to his
computer. Having logged in, he opened an internet browser.

Nadia plopped Nicky down on the bed and went back to
pacing back and forth. "There are so many pieces to this – I
can't put it all together. Grandma Liz and Grandma Catherine

– time traveled? Wow, it sort of ties my brain in a knot."

There was silence for a moment, except for the sound of

Aidan clicking away on the keyboard. Then Nadia went on,

"Then there are the two kids we saw, in those old-fashioned
clothes. They had the Ravenstone, too. What does that tell us?

They were in front of the same stone chamber."

She rubbed her stomach. "Yuk, too many barbecued spare
ribs, I think. That was not even counting the potato salad,
coleslaw and carrot cake I ate."

Aidan didn't turn from his computer screen. "Well, the

Ravenstone was warm and glowing near the stone chamber,
but not near the mirror... "

Nadia flopped back down on the bed. "And?"

"So, you were right," he replied, "it seems the stone gets
the power from the chamber... or on Ninham Mountain, or
something."

She nodded, then sat quietly for a minute, thinking. "And
what's Mystery Hill?"

"That's exactly what I'm wondering. I'm looking it up
right now," her brother said. "Got it. I was confused for a bit.

It used to be called "'Mystery Hill.' They've renamed it –
doesn't say why – and now it is called American Stonehenge.

You know what Stonehenge is?"

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows what Stonehenge
is. Those giant stones in a ring, in England – maybe Merlin
built it, or something."

"Yeah. Created so long ago it may have even been
thousands of years before Merlin. But, Mystery Hill, I mean

American Stonehenge, this is here, in the US. It's in New

Hampshire. And, it doesn't look anything like Stonehenge. At
least from these pictures. Look."

Nadia jumped off the bed to look over his shoulder.

Aidan continued, "No one knows for sure who built it. It
says, 'A maze of man-made chambers, walls, and ceremonial
meeting places...' and it's 4000 years old, or more. Likely 'the
oldest man-made construction in the United States.' Cool." He
read for a moment or two. "It's supposed to be an ancient
calendar, to determine solar and lunar events. But, it looks
more like a whole maze of stone chambers, to me." He looked
up at his sister. "And I'm not sure what it has to do with us."

He clicked on a map link and quickly typed. "But, hey, it's
near Nana's house in New Hampshire. It's only about half an
hour from there."

Nadia said slowly, "We are supposed to 'Come to Mystery

Hill.'"

"Well," Aidan replied as slowly, "we'll just have to do
that."

Chapter 12

New Hampshire

The twins always looked forward to their annual July or

August vacation to see their other grandparents, Nana Jean,
and Grandpa Morgan, who they all just called Pops. This year,
because their parents were going to New Jersey to look for a
house, the kids went early.

Too early for blueberry picking, thought Nadia. That was
one of Aidan's favorite things about their summer visit to New

Hampshire. But, now it was harvest time for asparagus and
how she loved asparagus!

There were plenty of other great things to do, as well. The
twins thought of it as summer camp – they affectionately
called it "Hamp-Camp." Nadia chuckled, remembering that
her dad called their New Hampshire time, "Factory

Reconditioning," since Nana was strict about hours, manners
and chores. The twins had long since given up even thinking
about being lazy or disobeying, as Nana simply would not
have it. But, Pops was a pushover.

And, as it turned out, finding a way to get to Mystery Hill
wasn't difficult at all. The next afternoon, after the long drive
to Nana's in New Hampshire, they simply asked her if they
could go see it. She said she thought it was a great idea and
went one step further. She told them there was a Solstice Eve

Festival event there in a few days, on the evening of the 20th
of June. She said it would be fun for them all to go.

Later, when the household had settled for the night, Nadia
heard the lightest tap on the guest room door. Aidan had
tiptoed up from the finished basement room where he and his
cousins, Matt, who was 11 and Ryan, 12, were sleeping.

"Knew you'd come." She was in pajamas, but wide awake
and sitting on the bed.

"Glad you're still up. How cool was that – what Nana said
about us all going to Mystery Hill?"

"Yeah. Well, that was easy."

"I know. But, it's weird – it seems like everything is
leading us, somehow, guiding us." He spoke slowly as if
working it out as he went. "Ok, if that's the case, to what? Are
we supposed to be doing something? I've been thinking – "

Nadia interrupted him with a groan. "Yeah, that five hours
in the car."

Aidan grinned. "But lots of time to think things through."

She nodded. "And, yeah. There's a message in all this.

There's something we're supposed to figure out. Something
we're supposed to do."

"I know," her brother said. "Let's go through it again.

Let's go back to the image of the man in the brown robe, who
was picking some leaves or herbs or something. If we were
meant to see that, there must be a reason. So, it occurred to
me... Now, don't laugh, maybe I'm nuts, but is it just possible
there might be a cure? A now-extinct plant we could go back
in time to find? I'm not saying this very well – "

Nadia cut him off, jumping up from the bed. "Oh, that's it.

That's it! When I saw that image, in front of the stone
chamber, my brain said, "If the sick woman had been given
those leaves she might have been cured. Yes. That really
could be it."

"And maybe that herb, or whatever it is, could've cured

Grandma Catherine."

Deep in thought, Nadia wandered to the window
overlooking the front yard, where light from the nearly full
moon streamed through the trees. She hardly saw it; her mind
was busy putting a jigsaw puzzle together. "Then, it might be
what Dad is looking for."

She paused and turned to face her brother. "Does this
mean... that maybe..." She took a breath and just went for it.

"That we could time-travel to a time and place where this herb
is? Bring it to Dad somehow? Geez, Aidan, are we crazy to
think this stuff?"

Aidan shook his head, slowly. "I know we aren't crazy. It
all makes sense. We didn't go looking for this – the old man
came to us. But if you're right, you know what this means,
don't you?"

Nadia replied slowly, "It means... we wouldn't have to
move if The Project was back on track for Dad!"

Aidan chewed on his lip. "We wouldn't have to move. Oh,
man." He paused, his face screwed up in concentration. "If it's
not too late, that is." He lay back on her bed, one arm thrown
over his eyes. "I need to think about all this some more. But,
if we're right about why we're seeing these images and why
the old man showed us where to find the Ravenstone, then we
will have to use it again."

Nadia took a deep breath. "Uh-huh. And go back in time.

Find the leaves. And collect them to bring back."

Aidan sat up. "And not mess up time while doing it."

"And get them to Dad without his finding out about the
dangerous thing we did."

Aidan nodded. "All this without knowing where we are
going or what we will find when we get there."

Nadia blew out the breath she had been holding. "Or if
we can get back."

"Yes, there is that," Aidan said slowly. "If we can get back."

* * *

Although there were chores to do every day, like
collecting eggs, watering and currying Nana's four horses, and
helping in her vegetable garden, there was plenty of time for
fun. With Matt and Ryan, they went horseback riding and
swimming or canoeing in the lake. There was a big game
room over the garage, decked out with a pool table and even

Pop's beloved 50-year-old pinball machine. He was a master
and once again, Nadia watched Aidan try to beat him, a yearly
challenge.

"Never gonna happen, Aidan," Pops said. "Bring it on,
buddy." Then they'd play for hours, hollering at the top of
their lungs. Nadia wandered off to read or bake apple-
cinnamon muffins with Nana Jean. Nadia liked playing
pinball for a while, but she liked books or doing something
creative more than a competitive game.

She noticed that Aidan was distracted this trip and often
lost in thought. There was a shadow over their whole visit,
this time. The Move.

One afternoon, when the twins were stretched out in
hammocks, reading, she asked him about it.

Aidan said, "How could there not be? How on earth do
you do it? You seem to have left it all behind you in Cold

Spring."

She thought about it for a moment, then figured she may
as well go for it. "You'll think I've gone crazy," she said. "But,
it's just not happening. We aren't moving."

"You can't stay in denial forever!" Aidan exclaimed.

Nadia looked surprised. "I'm not in denial. I just get the
sense that we are not moving. I don't see it happening.

Something will change, or something will save us."

"Yeah, right," muttered Aidan. "And what about the fact
that the future says we’re moving?"

She shrugged and shook her head. "I really don't know,

Aidan. I know what we saw. Could that be one reality… one
possibility? That doesn't come true, or something… because
something is going to happen to change it? It might even be
because of the Ravenstone." She paused, then picked up her
book. "But, there is nothing we can do right now, so I am not
going to think about it."

Aidan took a deep breath and sighed, “The Shaman told
us to come to Mystery Hill for a reason. Maybe we’ll find out
tomorrow.”

Chapter 13

"I sure hope this is right. I hope this is where we're
supposed to be," Nadia muttered, speaking softly so her
cousins wouldn't overhear.

Aidan leaned in close to her ear. "We worked this all out.

Don’t second-guess the plan. He told us to come to Mystery

Hill, this place used to be called Mystery Hill. What else
could he have meant? There is too much coincidence
everywhere for this to be a… a coincidence... well, you know
what I mean." He chuckled and Nadia grinned. "You've got to
have faith. Either way, we've got nothing to lose. If we’re
wrong, we just do a little sightseeing and go home."

They were following Matt, Ryan and Aunt Suzanne up a
winding path through the trees, from the parking lot. There
was a welcome center with gift shop and museum and just
past that was a large meadow area where tents and booths
were set up.

Nadia gazed around at all the cool stuff for sale: leather
crafts and sheepskin rugs; Celtic and Indian jewelry; Native

American drums; crockery and sculpture. Wafting through the
air floated the aroma of food, such as hot turkey legs, fried
avocado bites, and corn on the cob. There was even a place to
sign up for a massage or a Reiki session in a tent set up just
for alternative health sessions.

Hordes of people milled around, laughing, chatting and
eating. Some of the people were dressed in medieval or new
age costumes and it reminded Nadia of the Renaissance

Festival Mom had taken them to last summer. A group of
musicians played pan flutes and a woman dressed in a long
purple robe sold crystals and amethyst.

"Awesome," said Matt, although it was almost
unintelligible since he had already hit one of the food vendors
and was mumbling around a mouthful from a gigantic turkey
leg. "I'm going to try out some of those drums."

Aunt Suzanne handed him a Wet Wipe from her purse.

"They won't thank you for your greasy mitts on the leather.

OK, guys, let's meet back here in an hour." She turned to a
stall where the proprietor presented her Native American
turquoise jewelry. She muttered, "Oh, my..." as she glazed
over and drifted off into the tent.

"Mom’s down for the count." Ryan chuckled as he
exchanged a mischievous glance with Matt. "Let the games
begin," he said with a grin, as he and his brother took off
toward the display of drums.

Nadia and Aidan were both too excited about their secret
quest to think of food right now. They were here to see the
rock formations and mazes of stone chambers. And what else?

They had no idea what might happen, if anything. They just
kept wondering why the old man called them here.

Leaving their cousins and aunt at the craft tents, they
turned and followed the signs pointing the way to the main
attraction at the top of the hill. They overtook a group of
visitors, led by a smiling docent, who was deep into her
memorized speech.

"The Solstice Eve festival is an annual event, colorful and
great fun, as you can see. The nearby town gets involved and
people come from all over. We get visitors from

Massachusetts, Vermont, New York State – as far away as

Ohio and Oregon!" The guide spoke a bit breathlessly, as she
navigated the slightly rising path while talking over her
shoulder to the group. She was a plump little woman with
silver spirals of curls and a long flowery dress.

At a widening in the path, she stopped to catch her breath
and turned to them. "Are you all having a good time? Food
good?" As the visitors nodded, she grinned, her friendly face
crinkling up with pleasure.

The guide continued, "Was America’s Stonehenge built
by a Native American Culture or pre-Colombian Celts? No
one knows for sure." As she continued, launching into what
was known (and not known) about America's Stonehenge, the
twins realized they had read the same information online, so

Aidan took advantage of the pause to slip around the group
and continue up the torch-lit path. "We've only got an hour,"

he said over his shoulder to his sister, gesturing her to keep
up.

"We may have more time than that, she's in jewelry
mode," Nadia said. "Besides, it’s not like she’s going to leave
without us."

They rounded a sharp bend in the path through the trees
and came upon the main attraction of the site. Through the
early evening shadows, they could see a maze of rocky
chambers, some above ground, some below. It was built
around a vast, flat section of exposed bedrock, like a Stone-

Age amphitheater.

"Way cool," Aidan said.

It was much more impressive than the pictures Nadia had
seen online, although it didn't look much like the images she'd
seen of the original Stonehenge, in England.

"It's getting dark. Let’s get the flashlights and head to that
first chamber." Nadia dived into her backpack for one of the
small tactical flashlights they had borrowed from their
grandfather.

"OK. But be very careful with that thing,' Aidan said.

"Don't look directly into it or shine it in anyone's face. It
could blind them."

"You make it sound like a weapon, almost," Nadia
replied.

"Not almost. It actually is a weapon. It is hundreds of
times brighter than a camera flash – like 1200 lumens. Some
tactical flashlights even have a strobe setting which can
disorient an attacker."

Nadia rolled her eyes. He knew everything. And
sometimes she had to hear about everything.

A floating movement distracted her and she looked up
suddenly. There, right in the middle of the flat rock formation,
she could see the hazy glow of a fire with smoke billowing up
into the ever-darkening sky. She drew a sharp breath as her
skin prickled and the hair stood up on her arms.

"What is it? Nadia?" Aidan looked to see what had caused
her reaction.

"It's gone. But it was there, Aidan, a big fire – right
there!" She pointed to the empty space in the middle of the
circle of chambers, where a small group of people wandered
among the shadows. "It looked kind of real but sort of unreal,
like a hologram."

Aidan stood studying the spot where she was staring.

"Wait, the stone," he said. "That'll help." He reached into his
backpack, rummaged around, then looked at her and nodded.

When she peered in, there, in his hand, was the mysterious
stone. Yes! It was glowing. Keeping it away from prying eyes,
he held it firmly, but out of sight.

Nadia looked up again toward the center of the stone
platform. The fire image was back. Standing in the center and
filling the flat rock formation was a shimmering circle of
colossal granite stones, like pillars. In the center of that ring
was a giant bonfire, arising from a great standing stone table,
like a sacrificial altar. The blazing fire sparked and the smoke
billowed up into the night sky. Shadows wavered across the
massive stone pillars of the circle.

The word "Stonehenge" popped into Nadia's mind and
she nodded to herself. Casting a quick glance over at Aidan,
she saw the excitement in his eyes and a small but triumphant
smile on his face. Nadia stared, mesmerized at this scene of
fire and stone. It seemed to float and shimmer and she could
see right through it to the people near them and the stone
formations of Mystery Hill.

Then she remembered: the magic is more powerful when
we're touching. She reached out and grabbed Aidan's hand. A
rush of energy flowed through her, taking her breath away.

Instantly, the vision expanded, the circle of pillar-stones
widened, as if she were moving closer to it. Or, was it moving
closer to her? The sensation of movement made her feel dizzy
and just for a moment it felt as if the earth shifted under her
feet. She watched as the outer edges of the giant circle
became fuzzy, distorted, and hazy.

She suddenly realized the tourists who had been milling
around were no longer visible, no longer there! In fact, the
rock formations of Mystery Hill, the chambers, the path and
even the trees had disappeared. Everything beyond the
towering circle of stones and the roaring fire had vanished
behind a huge circular wall of clouds.

Aidan whispered, "My brain can't make sense of this.

What's happened? Where are we? Did we somehow time-
travel again?"

Nadia just shook her head. Absolutely no idea, she
thought. Were they even still in New Hampshire? If that was

Stonehenge and it certainly looked like it, could they be in

England?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the vision before her
continued to unfold. Figures slowly began to materialize just
inside the stone circle. One after another, shadowy figures in
gray robes appeared in a single, curved row facing the fire.

Men in long robes, with large cavernous hoods, their backs to
her, stood silently, as silent as the huge granite pillars above
them. They appeared on the far side of the circle, perhaps
twenty in all, soundless and faceless. The only sound was the
crackling of the fire and the snapping of the sparks as they hit
the cool night air.

Nadia was awed by this amazing scene but somehow felt
safe. She could feel Aidan's hand in hers and he was right
there beside her. She squeezed his hand and he glanced over
at her, wonder on his face.

Just as she wondered what would happen next and if there
was something she and Aidan should do, the hooded figure
closest to them stepped away from the others, turned and
began to walk toward them, staff in hand. She felt her heart
begin to race in anticipation, or was it fear? He moved,
ghostlike, through the pillars and with the glow of the fire
lighting him from behind, Nadia could clearly make out the
silhouette of a large black bird on his shoulder. The raven!

At that, the robed figure stopped, faced them and dropped
his hood back down to his shoulders. Light from the bonfire
flickered on his face. It was the old man they first saw in the
mirror in the attic! The twins stood transfixed before the
magnificent sight.

Nadia suddenly came to life and began to blurt out
questions. "Who are you? Where are we? What are we
supposed to do with the Ravenstone?" The old man held his
hand up as if to stop her and gazed right at her. She waited
and in the silence, she heard the answer, although later she
could not adequately explain how she did so. The old man did
not speak, but she knew what he was thinking, or what he
wanted her to know.

"You are no longer in your time, yet you are not in mine."

Aidan said softly, "Do you mean we traveled through
time?" Nadia realized Aidan heard the old man as well, but in
his head, as she did.

The answer from the robed man appeared in Nadia's
mind. It was unequivocal, even firm.

"We have little time. The power is fleeting. You must
listen."

The kids nodded.

The old man raised his arms and as he did so, the raven
lifted off his shoulder, pumped its powerful wings and took its
place perched atop the tallest of giant sarsen stones. At the
same instant, the ring of robed figures raised their arms in
unison and the fire roared and sparked as if commanded by
the men.

When the robed shaman next spoke in Nadia's head, it
was as if he had truly called out into the night sky. The
thoughts rang through her and filled her mind, her heart, her
very being. Waves of emotion, energy, passion flooded
through her.

"You were born to this path! This quest is your fate."

Nadia and Aidan were breathless in the silence that followed
this overwhelming pronouncement.

Then Nadia gathered herself to ask, "Is this about

Grandma Catherine?"

The word "yes" did not appear in her mind, but
affirmative energy washed over and through her. But, there
came an additional thought, which altered the answer. Just
two words, which surprised her.

"More than."

Before she could process this and ask another question,

Aidan asked, "Then is this something to do with Dad?" And
once again, although she heard no voice uttering the word,
yes, she felt the rightness, the yes, in energy form. But
immediately she received the thought:

"Greater than."

The twins looked at each other quickly.

Aidan spoke again. "Will Dad find the cure?"

"No."

Nadia was struck by the power of the negative energy.

Then, the old man raised his arm and pointed his long
forefinger directly at them.

"You will."

Nadia gasped. She knew it! The cure, the herb that would
have helped the sick woman in the vision at the stone
chamber – that is the cure that will help Dad. Her eyes filled
with tears and she felt strong affirmative energy from the old
wizard.

Just as she was wondering how on earth they were going
to do it, to succeed with this incredible assignment, the old
man pointed once again, this time to the Ravenstone glowing
in Aidan's hand. Aidan sucked in his breath and clutched the
stone even tighter.

As the twins looked down at the Ravenstone, it turned an
even brighter reddish-golden color and began to pulsate.

Aidan whispered, "We must use the stone."

As she watched it pulse, Nadia felt a prickling between
her shoulder blades and a feeling she could only describe as a
warning. The words came to her mind.

"Others seek it. Guard it well."

Aidan, beside her, nodded. Then both kids began to ask
questions at the same time.

"How do we–?"

"When do we–?"

The wise old wizard held up a hand once more to hold
back the flood of questions and, turning to the fire, he grasped
hold of a long flaming stick, glowing red-hot at one end. With
a flourish, he used the burning end to write in the grass and
dirt before them, right at their feet:

459

Nadia heard the two words, "Roman calendar," in her
mind. This meant 459 A.D.

Then something snapped in Nadia. She felt her patience
give way and her frustration take over. How can two kids find
a plant, somewhere, a thousand years ago? She repressed a
desire to stamp her foot, but honestly, this was huge! Her
brain raced on. We have no idea what we're doing! Aloud she
said, "How do we do it? Who will help us?"

As if in response, the old wizard sent her a clear thought.

"Seek Conall."

Then a picture formed in Nadia's mind. She clearly saw
the image of the man in the cape and the odd black fern in his
hand. And the words "warrior shaman" floated into her mind.

The old man met each of their eyes, with meaning, clearly
needing them to hear him: Trust your gifts.

Then he raised his staff and tapped the ground in front of
him and the flames roared and crackled upwards toward the
sky. The kids looked up and there in the smoke and the
flames, they could see the image of the stone chamber on

Ninham Mountain, shadowy and translucent about the old
man's head. Nadia recognized "their" stone chamber and she
gave her brother's hand a squeeze.

And the thoughts that appeared in her mind spoke again.

"The stone is more powerful in powerful places."

The old man bowed his head and gathered his robe
around himself as if the night chill had weakened his bones.

The raven lifted off from its perch atop the giant stone
and floated down to land back on the wizard's shoulder. Its
unblinking black eyes darted between Aidan and Nadia. The
man reached up and stroked its glossy wing and Nadia sensed
he gained strength from the bird.

The raven opened its huge beak and uttered a loud
rasping "Graa." At that, as if a call to action, all the robed
figures began to chant a series of long, deep notes, in unison,
their arms once again raised high in the glow of the firelight.

The robed shaman shuddered and drew in a long deep
breath as if mustering his reserves. The chanting ceased and
all was quiet. Nadia knew the power was waning. There was
not much time. The question filled her mind, Will you be
there? Will you help us?

The old man lifted his face to them and the thought came
clearly. "Watch for the raven."

With that, the image of the stones, the robed men, the
raven and the old wizard began to shimmer, fade and shrink
back as though being drawn toward the fire. Further and
smaller, until all that remained were the last remnants of
smoke and his parting message touching them through the
night.

"Seek Conall."

Then, the old man was gone.

Chapter 14

As the vision faded, the old man's voice echoed in Nadia's
ears. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings. Shadows
from the torches flickered across the flat rock formation
before her, the fire that billowed flame and smoke into the air
was gone, as were the stone pillars and robed men. She saw
again the man in the yellow fleece jacket with his little girl,
barely a step further than they were before the vision began.

Aidan, still beside her, said, "Did time just stand still for
ten minutes? It looks like everyone was frozen in place." He
glanced around at the other visitors, as though making sure no
one was looking at them.

Nadia was dazed, as if in a waking dream. It had not,
oddly enough, felt frightening. Why, she wondered, was she
not scared? The answer floated up to her conscious mind from
deep inside of her. She was familiar with the process; this is
how it happens, she didn’t need to force it. Somewhere
between the sensing and the knowing, her "power" translated
the feelings into words.

The essence of this feeling made her feel safe and the
word that came to her was "goodness." Nadia was
immediately aware there was nothing in the magical, out-of-
time and place vision she had just experienced that was of
darkness. Nothing that wished her harm. They were in no
danger from the old man, from any of the monk-like men
among the massive pillars of stone, and certainly not from the
rave. They were of goodness.

The last bit of mist faded from her mind as Aidan grabbed
her hand and pulled her over to a large bench-like ledge
where they could sit and take stock.

He gazed back to the flat rock where moments before the
great blaze had lit up the night sky and muttered, "Can you
believe this?"

Nadia just shook her head a little, her hand up covering
her mouth. "Did you hear what he said, Aidan? He said, 'This
is your quest'... our fate."

"I know. It's incredible. I have to get all of this written
down while it’s fresh." Aidan pulled out his iPhone and began
tapping out text. "Interstitial time... hope I'm spelling that
right," he muttered under his breath.

"Huh? Interstitial time?" Nadia closed her eyes, lost in
her own thoughts. Her heart was full of hope. Maybe they
could help Dad. Maybe they wouldn't have to move. Maybe
they'd even find something that would help many people.

"Yeah, I think that's what we could call it. I think we were
in a sort of time between time." Aidan pressed send. "There.

Sent it to you, too." He studied his sister for a minute. "Hey,
you with me? Where is your head at?"

She opened her eyes to look at him. She said softly, "I
keep getting that this is the answer."

Her brother nodded. "This is powerful stuff. We have to
take it one step at a time. Right now I am so blown away my
brain is rattling. Come on, let's walk."

* * *

The twins headed home the next morning to the Hudson

Valley. During the long car ride, everyone passed the time
differently. Halfway through the trip they stopped for a pig-
out out at McDonalds, a rare event for the twins, whose
nutrition-oriented holistic mom did not, to put it mildly,
approve of junk food. Not as a regular event, anyway.

The kids occupied themselves on the road with audio
books, games, and e-readers, while Aunt Suzanne listened to

NPR as she drove.

Nadia was deep into Watership Down, which Nana had
given her, telling her it was one of Aunt Suzanne's favorite
books when she was a teenager. Nadia was drawn into it right
from the start. A young rabbit named Fiver could sense some
great evil was about to befall the warren where he lived with
the other rabbits. But, no one would listen to him. Nadia
could relate to Fiver's "knowing" and sensing. And, she
thought wistfully, to being ignored.

When she checked in with Aidan, he told her he couldn't
concentrate. He was trying to distract himself with an audio
book, but he said he really wanted to be online, researching

Native American tribes and their customs in the Hudson

Valley 1000 years before Columbus. And he wanted to be
collecting up all the items they would take on their trip.

Nadia stole a glance to ensure that Matt was focused on
his game and Aunt Suzanne was still engrossed in her radio
program. Then she looked over at Ryan, who was still asleep,
with his face shoved uncomfortably against the window.

Nadia figured the road noise would cover their
conversation, but she spoke softly. "Does everything you
know about the Wappinger tribe help us now?"

"Maybe some, but most of that history only existed
because the Europeans who colonized the area wrote it down.

The Native Americans there had no written language. I have
to try to figure out what life was like in the Hudson Valley in

459."

459. The very thought sent a thrill of nervous anxiety
through Nadia. But also excitement. "I've got a pad and pen
right here," she said. "Let's get organized." She dived into the
back pocket of the seat in front of her and handed them to

Aidan. He set about making a list. They quietly talked about
what they should take with them to a time and place where
none of the modern conveniences existed. Staying alive and
safe was job one. Survival gear was essential, so they'd take
flashlights, matches, water, power bars, a compass perhaps.

Their cell phones would be useless. So would money.

How strange it was to think about all this, Nadia thought.

Hmm, they would have to carry everything they brought.

There would be no cars or bikes or even paved roads for that
matter. They would have to travel light.

As Aidan wrote, Nadia's mind wandered back to the
message of the old wizard. She had to trust him. She had to
trust they would be all right, that he would not send them to
their deaths... or worse. She tried not to think about all the
things that could go wrong. She tried to focus, instead, on the
goal and how important it was, to herself, to Aidan, to their
father. She knew they had to do this, even if the risks were
great.

Aidan asked, "Did you get a chance to jot down
everything you heard? To make sure it matches what I heard?"

"Yeah, last night, before I went to sleep. Wait a minute.

Wait, it's back there in my pack – I can't reach it now, but I
remember it all. Boy oh boy, do I ever remember it. He said
we will find Dad's cure!"

Aidan nodded. "Yeah, and that we have to guard the

Ravenstone."

"He warned me that others will be looking for it. But
bottom line, we go from the stone chamber on Ninham

Mountain back to the year 459."

"And we heard the name 'Conall.' The warrior shaman.

Did you get that?"

Aidan replied, "I heard Conall, but the words 'great
healer.' One and the same, I guess. Cool that he spoke to us
using different words, at the same time."

Nadia was silent for a moment. "I don't think he was
actually speaking. I think it was more like telepathy. He put
his thoughts in our heads and our minds translated them into
words that made the most sense to us." She grinned. "It’s not
exactly a big secret that my brain works differently than
yours. Something I don't get, though."

Aidan grinned. "Just one thing?"

"Well, if we are going back to 459 from the stone
chamber to the same place... There weren't any Europeans in

America then, right?"

Aidan nodded. "I know where you're going with this.

How do we find Conall, right? That's a good old Irish name."

"Yes, exactly. It just doesn't make sense." Nadia chewed
on her thumbnail.

"Well, we may have to take some stuff on trust," Aidan
said.

"Yikes. Yeah, I guess so. But hang on, there's something
else bugging me. When the old man first appeared to us in the
mirror, why was his message in old Irish? He clearly can
speak to us, or transmit his thoughts, in English."

Aidan nodded. "I think it's gotten easier for him to
communicate, over time."

Nadia shrugged.

Aidan went on. "Or maybe it was a test."

"A test?"

"Yeah. Maybe he was never going to trust us with this
mission if we were too stupid to work that out." He chuckled
softly and she grinned.

"Maybe that's why he didn't help us with the second trip -
when we went forward a year," said Nadia. "Maybe we were
supposed to work out how to use it by ourselves."

Nadia's smile faded and she chewed on the inside of her
cheek. Aidan studied his sister. "You scared?"

"Duh. Of course, I'm scared. Aren't you?"

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Ryan's voice cut
in. He rubbed at his eyes. "Scared of what?"

"Nothing. You’re too little to understand," Nadia said
dismissively and turned her head to look out of the window.

"Come on," wheedled Ryan.

Aidan said calmly, "Well, if you must know, when we
were at American Stonehenge, we crossed into interstitial
time and met a wizard. He told us to travel through time on a
mission to save the world."

"Ha ha, very funny, Aidan. You never tell me anything."

Ryan slumped back in his seat and pulled out his Game-boy.

Nadia couldn't even look at her brother – she was afraid
she would burst out laughing.

Chapter 15

Cold Spring, NY

Grandpa Art turned the Prius onto the street where Nadia
and Aidan lived.

"I'll water the vegetable garden and bring in the mail," he
said. "How about you clean the cat pan and refill his food?"

Grandma Liz, in the passenger seat, was silent, gazing out
of the window. He waited, but she did not reply.

"Hello? You with me here? Liz?"

Startled, she looked over at him. "What was that, hon?"

"What's up with you, Liz? You've been distracted for a
couple of days, now."

Liz popped open her seat belt as Art pulled into the kids'

driveway. "How about if I do the cat, OK? Can you get the
mail?" Without waiting for a reply, she hopped out of the car
and headed for the house.

Art shook his head and climbed out of the car.

Once inside, Grandma Liz darted straight up the stairs
and headed for Aidan's room. First, she rummaged through
the closet, then rooted around through the pile of shoes and
boots on the floor. She was careful not to displace his things
too much. Everything was organized and tidy in Aidan's
closet. That's pretty unusual for a boy his age, she thought to
herself. However, her grandson was unusual. Unique, actually.

Next, she scanned the various shelves above his
computer. She peered behind the books, then moved across
the room to rifle through the drawers in his dresser and desk.

She went through his sock drawer and peered under the
cushions on the window seat. Then she lifted up the mattress
and reached under, sliding her arm in as far as it would go.

She knelt and scanned under the bed. Dust and a whoopee
cushion Grandpa Art had given Aidan at his recent birthday
party was all she saw.

Standing up again, she stood with her hands on her hips,
gazing around the room for a moment, then hurried to Nadia's
room. She began the same thorough search there, although
she did not take the same care in her granddaughter's room.

Taking in the state of the room, she figured it would be
impossible for anyone to know this room had been invaded at
all. It was all a rather pleasant sort of energetic disarray,
almost chaos. But, she probably knows where everything is,

Liz thought, with a wry smile on her face.

She glanced through the jumble of tank tops, scarves,
folders, books and CDs on Nadia's closet shelf and hunted
around amongst the assortment of shoes and sandals. She
hunted through her granddaughter's dresser drawers and even
searched the American Girl doll collection in the antique
trunk under the window. Nothing.

Outside, Art finished watering the carrots, peppers,
lettuces and tomatoes in the vegetable garden, then carefully
wound the 100-foot hose back up and carried the pile of mail
inside. Dumping it on the kitchen counter, he muttered,

"Should just go straight in the recycling bin – what a pile of
junk."

"Hey, hon, where are you?" he called out to his wife.

Then he heard footsteps overhead. "Hey, Liz, I'm done. You
all set?"

He heard her voice from the stairway, "Just coming."

Art reached down to stroke Nicky, who was yowling at
him from the tile floor of the kitchen. Glancing over to the cat
bowl, he noticed it stood empty. "You not been fed yet? Sorry,
old boy, come on, let's get you some food." As he selected a
can from the row of cat food cans in a cupboard, Liz crossed
through the kitchen and headed for the mudroom.

"Ok, just have to see to the kitty-litter pan and we can
head home," she said.

"What were you doing upstairs so long? Everything all
right?"

"Sure, uh... I was just checking windows and stuff.

Making sure everything was locked up tight."

Art gave her an odd look but kept his thoughts to himself.

Changing the subject, he asked, "Have you thought any more
about the twins living with us for a year, till they finish
middle school?"

Grandma Liz sat up on her haunches, from where she was
kneeling, litter-shovel in hand. She threw him a quick glance.

"You know, the more I think about it, the more I believe it's a
terrific idea if Michael and Gen would agree."

"I think so too. That's great, honey. Well, I will sit

Michael down when they get back from New Jersey and see
what they have to say about it."

For a few moments, there were just the sounds of Nicky
wolfing down his food and Liz scraping away in the litter pan.

Grandpa Art said, "Yes, I will have a talk with him." He
scratched his beard and continued quietly, more to himself
than his wife. "I wonder if he knows what moving them will
do to those kids."

Chapter 16

Nadia felt as if they’d been away for a month. Heather
was off somewhere with Judessa, doing whatever 17-year-old
girls do and Dad wasn’t home yet, so the twins were on the
porch, waiting for Mom to get home from the clinic.

The kids had put their heads together, researched online
and had worked out all the details they could think of. They'd
filled their backpacks, ready for the big trip.

"I got the Power Bars and put a few in each pack," said

Aidan.

His sister nodded absentmindedly. Clearly, her mind was
elsewhere.

"What?" Aidan asked.

"Well, I forgot to tell you. I think someone looked
through my room while we were gone."

Aidan's eyes opened wide. "Mine, too. My sock drawer
all a-jumble, the pillows on the window seat were moved,
stuff like that."

Nadia sometimes teased him for being so organized and
tidy, just as he called her a slob. But, she knew he liked things
the way he liked them. He liked logical places for things,
having his things where they belonged. Helped him think, he
said.

"As soon as I walked in, I knew," Nadia said. "Not sure
how exactly. Things were just a bit out of place. Don't say it –
how would I know? I know, my room is usually a bit of a
mess." OK, a lot of a mess, she thought. "The clock on my
nightstand was turned funny. And, an old sweatshirt I haven't
worn for ages had fallen onto the closet floor. How could that
have happened? Nicky can't get up there."

Besides these items that were out of place, it was more
that she could feel it, sense it. Someone had searched her
room. She cocked her head slightly to one side. "Aunty-Gran
looking for the Ravenstone?"

"Uh-huh," replied Aidan. "I think so. Nobody else was in
the house while we were gone and we both know she saw it
that day at the stone chamber. And you saw how she reacted."

"So, what do we do about that?" asked Nadia.

Aidan seemed to concentrate, then gave a slight shrug. "I
got nuttin," he muttered, which made Nadia grin.

Then they couldn't talk anymore, as their Mom arrived
home, jumping out of her car to give them big hugs. It was as
if they had been gone a year, instead of five days, thought

Nadia. But, a hug from her mom felt so good. She wished,
just a bit, that they'd never seen the old man in the mirror, that
they had never found the stone. That they'd never time-
traveled. If only things could just go back to how they were a
week ago. Geez, she thought, shocked, all this has only been a
week.

They sat on the porch with their mom, mango-flavored
ice teas in hand. Nicky jumped up on Nadia's lap and began to
purr ecstatically. Nadia caught her mother up with all the fun
things they did in New Hampshire. A lot had happened, but
the most important piece, of course, she could not share.

The happy atmosphere seemed a bit artificial, with
everyone trying to ignore the elephant in the room. No one
had brought up the dreaded Move. Their mom had said
nothing about the New Jersey visit to see houses, even when

Aidan hesitantly asked how it went. "Fine." was the short
reply, accompanied by a big breezy smile and another query
about kayaking. Their mother was skillfully chatting circles
around the subject, keeping it just out of reach.

Nadia was glad when the talk was interrupted by a car
horn and she turned to see her father's Leaf turning into the
driveway. Her dad climbed out of the car, slowly straightening
with an effort and waved at them.

"Hey, guys. Welcome home. We sure missed you."

Nadia sensed his gloom, it washed over her as he spoke.

Oh no, she thought, something's wrong. Is Dad all right? She
couldn't narrow it down to anything specific, just the heavy
feeling of sadness and tiredness coming from her father. No
one else seemed to notice.

Aidan and her mom jumped up to greet him. Then, Nadia
gave her dad a hug and the feeling intensified as he put his
arms around her and gave her a big squeeze.

"How's my little muffin?" he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Daddy, I'm so sorry I was so awful before we left."

"It's OK, honey, I understand. It's all right. Just hug your
old dad."

Gen put a cold beer in her husband's hand, smiled and
kissed him on the cheek. Michael sat down in a big wicker
chair, flopping his briefcase on the porch floor beside him.

Nicky leaped up on his lap and Michael idly pet the big cat.

"So, good trip?" their dad asked.

Before Nadia and Aidan could begin to tell him, their
mother cut them off.

"Honey, just tell them, please. I can't stand another
minute of this."

There was a pause while the twins stared at their parents.

Then their dad nodded.

"You're right, Gen." He dumped Nicky off onto the floor,
stood up again and walked to the edge of the porch. He stood
looking out over the lawn, now streaked with late afternoon
shadows. Without turning, he said quietly, "We are not
moving."

Nadia was flooded with relief. "Oh, Daddy," she said
softly. She'd known all along that something would happen to
stop the move!

The twins locked eyes, and when she felt Aidan's
confusion, she knew she had to cover. She jumped up and ran
to her dad. "That's awesome! What happened? Did the clinic
reconsider and give you the funding?"

"No. I wish... No, I just decided it's time. It's time I let

The Project go. I’m done with it. I’ve taken it as far as it can
go."

Nadia felt the untruth behind the words, but also the love
and kindness. Her eyes filled with tears. She knew the real
reason for this decision. He was doing this for them. He was
putting them ahead of his dream, the goal he had been
working on for his entire life.

As a red Prius pulled into the driveway, her mom said,

"It's Grandma Liz. She and Grandpa are coming over to have
pizza with us and welcome you guys home." She waved and

Grandma joined them all on the porch.

"Hi, Gen. Hi, Michael," Grandma Liz said. "Grandpa is
picking up the pizzas, should be here in 15 or so." She turned
to Aidan and Nadia. "And how are my favorite twins? I can't
wait to hear all about your trip, you two, but let's hold it till he
gets here – so you don't have to tell it twice." She grinned and
gave them a hug.

"OK, I'll go get showered and changed," their mom said.

Would you kids get the table ready? Heather should be home
in a few minutes, too. We can talk about all this over dinner. It
is wonderful news – I knew you would be thrilled." She
disappeared into the house.

The twins and Grandma Liz left Michael on the porch
with his paper and beer and headed for the kitchen to set the
table. And Nadia knew there was a carrot cake in the fridge
she had spied earlier. All that sugar! Mom must have really
missed them. She smiled to herself.

"Glad to have a few minutes with you guys," Grandma

Liz said. "We need to talk."

Nadia's grin vanished and she felt her stomach clench.

She turned to face her grandmother, who was choosing a big
red and white mug from the rack on the counter. She poured
herself a cup of black coffee from the carafe.

Nadia had never been able to read her Grandma Liz until
the day at the stone chamber and then it had come through
like a tidal wave. Would it work again now? She briefly
closed her eyes and focused on her grandmother. After a
moment, she got a sense of anxiety... and fear. What was

Aunty-Gran afraid of?

Nervous and perplexed, Nadia glanced across at her
brother. He looked at her hard and gave a furtive shrug. Nadia
understood: It is what it is. Trust me. Let me do this one. She
felt a wave of love and gratitude for her brother. I mean, he
was her big brother. Ha ha! Older by an entire two minutes
and forty seconds.

As Grandma Liz settled herself at the kitchen table,
motioning them to join her, Aidan asked, "Did you search
through my room?"

Liz sloshed hot coffee over her hand. "Ow!" She hurried
to the sink to run cold water over the burn.

Nadia could sense her grandmother's dismay and felt a bit
awkward about it. Aunty-Gran always meant well and Nadia
could tell that was the case this time, too. It was just that there
was an undercurrent of something else running along with the
goodwill. Again, she sensed fear, but also, oddly enough,
guilt, from her grandmother.

"Did you?" Aidan asked again, a bit more forcefully.

"I don't care for your tone, young man." She paused. "I
want to talk with you about the stone artifact you found."

Aidan tried to cover his initial look of shock. Nadia knew
his plan was, "offense is the best defense," but it had
backfired a bit. She sure hadn't thought her grandmother
would go straight at it, like that. Oh, no, I hope we aren't
going to have a showdown of some sort with Aunty-Gran.

Nadia wished so much that she could tell her everything.

Grandma Liz turned from the sink, drying her hands on a
towel. "It looked familiar when I saw it out on Ninham

Mountain. I knew I'd seen it before, but I couldn’t quite
remember where. Then it came to me. My grandmother, Nora,
was an artist. I have some of her paintings and sketchbooks at
home. That stone is pictured in one of her sketches."

Nadia felt the lie in the sentence, but she didn't know
which part was untrue. Her sense was that her grandmother
knew a lot more than she was telling about the stone, but was
playing it very cool. So much for wishing she could tell her
grandmother all about it. Something was really wrong, here.

"We need to show it to your mom and dad. Or, maybe you
should give it to me and I will keep it safe, get it appraised. It
is probably valuable, it is certainly an antique, even a family
heirloom..." Grandma Liz trailed off, but she was watching
them closely.

She wants to know what we know, thought Nadia. Her
radar was humming.

Her grandmother seemed calm, on the outside, but Nadia
could feel a swirling tempest of emotions. So, she took a
chance. "Aunty-Gran, why are you upset about this? You
seem scared, or guilty."

"Guilty? Don't be ridiculous." Grandma Liz' voice carried
an edge and she stood up, sharply, her chair scraping against
the tile as she shoved it back from the table. "And I'm not
upset. But this could be a valuable artifact, it's not a toy."

"We didn't do anything wrong, Aunty-Gran," Nadia said.

"Why are you mad at us?"

"Honey, I'm not angry with you. I am just afraid that you
might accidently do something you can't undo – " Liz stopped
suddenly, then went on, quickly, "I mean, if you lost it, or
something."

It struck Nadia again: Grandma Liz' intentions were good
but something did not ring true. She'd have to think about it
later. Right now, they had to get out of this, somehow, with
the Ravenstone still in their possession. And, somehow,
without lying to their grandmother.

Aidan said quickly, "OK, you're right, Aunty-Gran. We
probably should have taken it to Mom and Dad, but we just
thought – "

"Hey guys, welcome back!" It was Grandpa Art. The
twins and Grandma Liz turned to see him in the doorway,
carrying boxes of pizza, a plastic bag, and a wrench. "Great
news, huh, that you aren't moving?" he continued. "And I
brought that new showerhead to replace the messed up one in
the downstairs bath. I know you don't need to show the house
now, but heck, I was going to fix it for perfect strangers but
why shouldn’t I fix it for my favorite grandchildren?" He
laughed.

When no one laughed with him, Grandpa Art studied each
of them in turn. "What's going on, Liz?"

Aidan grinned at his grandfather. "Oh, nothing, Grandpa,

Nadia and I were just chatting to Aunty-Gran. Hey, Heather!"

Heather came bustling through the back door of the
mudroom, carrying big shopping bags. "Hey, guys! Did you
two have fun up at Hamp-Camp? You'll have to tell me all
about it. I've been to the outlet stores and yowsa, I took a
haul! Great stuff – have to show you, Nadia."

Good timing, Nadia thought.

In the welcoming bustle, Heather chatted on happily,
oblivious to the tense atmosphere. "Mom will freak when she
sees the credit card, but it's all for school, so should be OK.

I'm starved, when's dinner?"

Aunty-Gran spoke softly near Nadia's ear. "We aren't
done talking about this. I'll see you two tomorrow." Then she
grinned merrily at her older granddaughter. "I want to see all
your goodies, too, Heather!"

* * *

Well, Dad said they were not moving. That should have
fixed everything, Nadia thought. They were off the hook and
the looming threat of moving to New Jersey was gone. Just as
she'd sensed. Something had happened to change the future,
just as she told Aidan.

The twins had a chance to talk, for a few minutes, before
they went to bed.

"You were right," Aidan said. And I've been thinking...

there might be a simple explanation. I wonder if the truth is
that we could travel four different times and see four different
futures because the future isn’t set in stone. Anything that
happens in between can change the future."

Nadia shrugged. "Maybe so. But, we'll probably never
really know."

Later, lying in bed trying to get to sleep, Nadia watched
the clock creep toward midnight. Something was still bugging
her. With them not moving, did that mean they didn’t have to
face the dangerous adventure through time? The old man had
spoken only of finding the cure; the move to New Jersey
never came up. It wasn’t even part of the equation. Her dad
was planning to abandon the project he had worked on for 20
years so Aidan and Nadia wouldn’t have to make new friends.

The thought of it made Nadia feel small and selfish. How
could they stand by and let it happen when they'd been given
a chance to change everything?

Besides, there was more at stake here. The old man was
clear that this was about more than Grandma Catherine and
more than Dad. It was much bigger than just two people and it
was clearly bigger than whether they were moving to New

Jersey or not. There was a greater purpose to this mission. It
was their fate.

Also, Aunty-Gran might take the Ravenstone from them.

What to do about that?

Wow, I really need to talk to Aidan, she thought.

As if on cue, there was a soft knock and Aidan popped his
head around the door.

"Oh, good, you're still up. I can't sleep," he whispered,
closing the door softly.

"Me neither. And I know why."

"Me too."

Aidan sat on the edge of the bed and the twins stared at
each other. Since before birth, their lives were intimately
interwoven. At times, when something big, something
important affected them they were of one mind. This was one
of those times and the look in each other’s eyes confirmed it.

"Whether we move or not, whether the future we saw was
real or not–" Nadia said.

"Doesn't change a thing." said Aidan.

"Nope."

"OK, let's plan this. I think we should go now. Tonight.

Aunty-Gran might demand we give her the Ravenstone
tomorrow."

Nadia agree. "Yikes. You're right." She thought for a
moment. "OK, we have to go now. But let's wait 'til the
middle of the night."

"Yeah. Perfect. We have the world's best flashlight and
great lights on our bikes."

Chapter 17

The big moment was imminent. Nadia and Aidan had
crept out of the house at 2 a.m. and covered the distance to

Ninham Mountain with surprising ease. When the streetlights
ended, they found they could see well with the bike
headlamps. There was hardly anyone on the road, but twice
when they saw headlights in the distance, they ducked behind
some trees beside the road until the car had passed. When
they had ridden as far as they could on pavement, they hopped
off their bikes and pushed them along the woodland trail
toward the stone chamber.

Nadia was still thinking about Grandma Liz. "That was so
weird. She acted as if she were calm, but she was scared and
upset. I wish we knew for sure how much Aunty-Gran knows
about the stone. Do you think it’s possible she time-traveled
with the Ravenstone?"

"I think it’s more than just possible and I think something
bad happened." Aidan sounded sure.

"Well, we can't ask her – she'd never let us keep it if she
knows we've used it." Nadia was quiet for a moment and then
said, "Grandma Liz didn’t know where the stone was or she
would have found it right off and she wouldn't have needed to
search our rooms. So, that means…"

"It means the woman in the vision who we saw putting
the stone in the mirror was Grandma Catherine."

"Exactly." Nadia thought for a moment. "And just maybe

Grandma Catherine hid it from Aunty-Gran. Wow, I wonder
why."

"Well, how about this? We know Grandma Catherine got
sick and died from some strange bug. Maybe she got it in
some other time… or place."

"Geez, that's a scary idea." Then she laughed. "Hey, way
to reassure me, Aidan!"

Approaching the stone chamber, they found a place to
hide the bikes in a clump of small pines.

"Hiding our bikes might not even be necessary. If
everything goes right we'll arrive back here at this exact
moment," mused Aidan.

Nadia slipped off her backpack, reached in and pulled out
the Ravenstone. It was glowing and warm to the touch.

The twins had discussed this moment countless times, the
moment they would launch themselves over fifteen centuries
back through time. They could still hardly believe it was
going to happen. They had tried to take into consideration
every possible thing that could go wrong, but now that the
moment was here, Nadia knew they couldn’t possibly think of
everything. At some point, they were just going to have to
wing it.

"I don't want to put it off," she said. "Let's not talk about
it anymore, let's just do it."

"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be." This response
made sense, but Aidan did not sound nearly as confident and
encouraging as Nadia had hoped. Her heart was in her throat,
as if she were waiting in line at one of the giant rides at

Disneyworld.

Holding the Ravenstone like a Geiger counter, Nadia
walked the few steps through the doorway and into the
chamber, then turned and, retracing her steps, stopped directly
in the doorway itself. "This is it." She locked eyes with Aidan.

"More powerful in powerful places, that’s what he said... This
is the spot, it glows the brightest right here."

"Well, we’re going to need all the power we can get,"

Aidan said firmly.

"OK. Focus in on the year 459. 10 a.m. Morning of the
same day, June 22. Same place, right here," Aidan pointed at
the ground where they stood. They had decided to take as
many variables as possible out of the mix. The less there was
to think about, the less there was to screw up, Aidan had said.

Fifteen hundred and fifty-seven years ago was enough to hold
in their heads.

Nadia held the Ravenstone out to Aidan. "I am picturing

459, June 22, 10 in the morning." She put her heart and mind
into it, concentrating on her desire to go to that time and that
place.

Aidan took a deep breath and slid his hand into the
grooves on the black stone. As his eyes closed, his thumb
touched his sister's.

The bolt of electricity was even greater than the first two
times they had used the stone. Nadia could barely breathe
from the power of it. But, she stayed calm and focused on
their goal. She knew they could do it.

The huge golden arc loomed around them and the
doorway of the chamber fell away. The forest and meadow
vanished and all she could see was golden light and all she
could hear was a roaring sound, as if from a great wind. The
golden glow of the arc shimmered all around them, then
expanded into a winding path of light undulating into the vast
darkness beyond. Then they were slowly drawn along this
brilliant shining path.

When the noise and light faded, they could begin to make
out their surroundings. Nadia waited for the eerie sensation of
the earth moving to stop, then drew a deep breath and let her
eyes take in the scene.

She looked out from where they stood, still in the
doorway of the stone chamber. It was daylight, a cloudy day,
as if rain was not far off. Immediately in front of the stone
chamber, instead of the empty, grassy clearing they were used
to, there was a carefully organized area that looked as if it was
used for ceremonies. Hanging from the monolith just across
from the door was a limp garland of wild flowers, faded and
dry, as if a few days old. In the center of the clearing was a
fire pit with the remains of a recent fire and to the side stood
an alter-like stone table. Ringing the fire pit sat a dozen
intricately carved wooden stumps that must be used as seats.

It had worked again! But, were they really back in time?

Aidan stood staring at their suddenly changed
surroundings, then turned to Nadia and said with a smile.

"Hey, Toto… I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore."

He grabbed Nadia for a hug. "We gettin' good at this!"

"But is it 459?"

Aidan didn't reply. He had turned back to peer into the
chamber. When Nadia turned to see what he was doing, she
saw what had caught his eye. In the shadowy interior of the
chamber, she could see the walls were stained a deep golden
tan color and images in various colors appeared to be painted
on that plain wash.

Aidan pulled the flashlight out of his backpack to flick
the bright white light around the chamber.

There before them, filling the back wall were gray and
black Tree of Life and Celtic knot images and on the walls to
either side, Nadia could make out painted images of animals,
in soft blue and peach colors: a coyote, a mother deer with a
little spotted fawn, a black-masked raccoon, an elk, and a
large raven.

"Wow," muttered Aidan.

"Come on, let's get going." Nadia pulled at his sleeve.

Now that the time-travel was behind them, for the moment,
she wanted to get on with it, to stay focused. Looking at cave
paintings was all very well, but she was nervous and standing
around when they had things to do wasn’t helping. "Let's go
find Conall."

Heading down the mountain was a no-brainer and they
had decided to head toward the Hudson River, where there
would be settlements of Indians, early Wappinger tribe, or

Algonquin family.

"I sure hope they're friendly," he said. "If we really have
traveled all the way back to 459, the Indians will never have
seen anything like us!" He reached into his pack for the
compass he had packed, only to notice that Nadia already had
hers in her hand.

"I assume we’re going west," she said, "and this path
leads almost directly west."

"Yup. Sounds good to me, Sherlock." When his sister
pointed her finger, Aidan gestured with a grand sweep of his
arm indicating she should take the lead.

They set off along a woodland trail leading away from the
clearing and this trail soon grew to a wider path. It appeared
the people here regularly made their way to the stone
chamber. A little too regularly, Nadia thought. "Aidan, what
are we going to do if somebody spots us before we spot
them?"

"Hmm, good point." After a brief discussion, the twins
agreed walking down the well-worn path made for easy
going, but left them too exposed. They decided to walk
through the woods parallel to the trail and sacrifice some
speed in favor of safety. This way, if they came across any of
the local inhabitants, they hoped to see them first.

The thick bed of pine needles beneath their feet made it
easy to travel in silence and the kids took turns in the lead as
they walked steadily for an hour or more. A sudden squall
forced them to stop briefly and huddle under the protective
branches of a towering hemlock. The shower moved on as
quickly as it had started and they were soon on their way
again, breathing in the cool fresh air and the fragrance of
green and growing things.

Aidan sat on a log for a moment to drink from a water
bottle, then handed it to Nadia. He spoke softly, "It’s so hard
to tell exactly where we are without familiar landmarks, I
don’t even know how far we’ve walked."

"I know. Nothing looks the same. Uh, duh. 1500 years
might make some changes, huh?" Nadia grinned and then
crept through the trees to make sure they had not strayed too
far away from the main trail. "So far, so good," she
whispered. They stowed their water bottle, rechecked the
compass, and pressed on toward the river.

With Aidan now in the lead, they continued shadowing
the main trail. The going was faster now that the forest had
opened up a bit, but with increased speed came reduced
caution. Aidan's left foot found a dry dead branch and as his
weight came down on it, it snapped with a pop like a gunshot.

A deep low growling grunt froze them in their tracks.

Then they saw it. Directly ahead of them, a mere twenty
yards away was an enormous, black, angry bear and it was
staring right at them. As the bear let out yet another even
louder roaring grunt, two small cubs scrambled up a nearby
birch tree. The mother bear began to swing her head slowly
from side to side, testing the air with her nose. She then let
out a long churning roar that culminated in a terrifying pop as
she snapped her mouth shut, hard. Nadia's heart stopped and
the cold chill of terror ran down her spine. She moaned.

Aidan whispered frantically to her. "Don't run. Be very
still."

Nadia didn't think she could make her legs move even if
she wanted to run. The fear filled her so completely she could
hardly breathe.

The bear rose up on its hind legs and stood towering for a
moment. Then, still roaring, it dropped to all fours and
thundered straight at them. Before Nadia could draw a breath,
she saw a movement to her right. From behind a giant birch
tree, an Indian woman appeared, tall, regal and beautiful. She
moved with grace and speed, stopping directly between the
twins and the bear. Facing the bear, she held up her hand,
palm outward and spoke softly and calmly to it. The twins did
not recognize the language she spoke. However soft and calm
her words were, they were clearly words of authority.

At the sound of the woman’s voice, the mother bear
pulled up suddenly and stopped. It took deep slow breaths as
if willing itself to calm down and it studied the Indian woman
with penetrating eyes. Again, the woman spoke and again the
words were soft and calm, yet commanding.

Nadia couldn't believe her eyes. This woman stepped in
front of a charging bear and wasn’t at all afraid! Nadia could
sense compassion and kindness, even love. But not fear. Like
a guardian angel, clothed in cream-colored deerskin, she
stood, tranquil and sure, in front of them, protecting them
from the mother bear's wrath.

The bear stood stock still for a moment as if
contemplating the woman’s words, then turned, grunted softly
to her cubs, then ambled off into the forest. The cubs slid
down the tree and looked for just an instant with teddy bear
faces and blinking eyes at the disbelieving twins, then
scampered after their mother.

The woman turned to face them. Although she was not
smiling, her gentle face held warmth and kindness.

Still reeling from the shock and terror, Nadia's breathing
was ragged. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. How... how
did you do that? It was coming straight at us – I couldn’t
move, we would have been killed." She brushed away the
tears rolling down her cheeks and struggled to regain her
composure.

Aidan put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a
squeeze. He spoke to the lovely Indian woman, standing
quietly before them. "Thank you... That was... um... thank
you. Do you speak English?" He instantly felt like a fool for
asking. How could she possibly know English? No English-
speaking person arrived on this continent until the 1600s. He
shook his head, irritated with himself, but the shock of the
bear had unsettled him, too.

A feeling more than a sound drew the twins’ attention as a
raven threaded through the canopy above and rode the gentle
breeze, on outstretched wings, across the clearing. In spite of
its size, it landed delicately on the woman’s shoulder. She
reached up reflexively to run her fingers through its feathers
and stroke its shiny black wing. The stately bird lifted its head
and called out its gravelly cry, "Graa, graa." As it tipped back
its head, Aidan could clearly see a splotch of white under its
chin. This bird looked just like the raven from the attic and
from Mystery Hill.

"Uh… Aidan, that sure looks like our raven," murmured

Nadia.

"It sure does. And you know what that means… it means
we are in the right place."

Nadia felt her heart lift in hope.

The Indian woman lifted her hand and when she spoke, it
was in a lilting, melodic language. Her voice trailed up as she
ended, as if she asked a question. Nadia shook her head. "I'm
sorry, we don't understand you..."

The woman thought for a moment, then spoke again,
clearly in a different language this time and again asking a
question, but no more comprehensible than before. Once
again, Nadia shook her head, her frustration mounting. She
muttered to her brother, "If we can’t communicate with
anyone here how in the world are we going to find Conall?"

At that, the Indian woman's eyes opened wide. She
repeated slowly and clearly, "Conall?"

"Yes!" Aidan nodded vigorously. "Conall. We are here to
see Conall."

The woman nodded. She stood quietly for a moment
studying the twins. Then, she appeared to make up her mind
and gestured for them to follow her. With a soft smile, she
turned to lead them along the well-traveled path toward the
west. The raven lifted off her shoulder, pumped its ebony
wings and melted into the shadows ahead.

Chapter 18

"I feel like we've been walking for hours." Aidan said.

"We can't be more than a mile or two from the spot where our
house will be – someday, but... "

He didn't have to say it. Nadia knew he felt lost. This
valley was so vast. While they did not know exactly where the

Indian woman was taking them, they were still headed west.

Aidan had been right about that, Nadia thought. The beautiful
and mysterious woman had not turned nor spoken to them
again, but walked noiselessly before them as they followed,
sometimes struggling to keep up. Nadia marveled; she never
seems to hurry, but she covers ground with amazing speed.

Finally, they reached the top of a rise and a wide grassy
meadow stretched out before them, with an expanse of water
beyond. The rainclouds had given way and there was the

Hudson River sparkling in the sunshine with the outline of

Storm King Mountain rising up from the opposite shore. They
had grown up looking at that view and it was as familiar to
them as an old friend.

Between the grassy slope and the river stood a small but
bustling settlement, bisected by the road they were on. Nadia
touched her brother's arm and he turned to her. This must be
where they were headed.

"Amazing!" Aidan whispered, with a huge smile.

"I know," she replied. "I keep pinching myself..."

As they approached the village, Nadia could see it was
organized into a very large loose circle, perhaps the length of
two football fields in diameter. The perimeter consisted of a
long sweeping arc of lodges. Each lodge was constructed of
large slabs of bark attached to a framework of saplings.

"Great craftsmanship," Aidan said softly to Nadia.

Far from crude, these were substantial structures designed
to withstand the elements, including the often-cruel Hudson

Valley winters.

The area in the village center was an open space like a
green or a common, surrounded by a random collection of
small structures that resembled sheds or lean-tos. Laced
between all of these were well-worn paths or avenues and
small groups of Native American villagers congregated here
and there, taking part in various activities.

Nadia asked Aidan quietly, "Algonquin?"

Aidan shrugged. "Hard to tell..."

Nadia watched young men and boys taking fish from
baskets and hanging them on racks to dry in the sun. What
fish were those? Perhaps Shad. The Shad Festival took place
every year along the Hudson River and she wondered if these
people also celebrated that silly-looking little fish.

Suddenly, her mouth watered at the thought of the hot,
salty fish and chips they had at Georgina's Tavern, one of their
favorite local restaurants. But, it would be 1500 years before
there would be a Georgina's Tavern here. It was hard to wrap
your brain around, Nadia thought.

As they followed the Indian woman into the center of the
village, Nadia wondered what kind of reception they would
get from these people. Would they be friendly? Would they
search her and Aidan and take the Ravenstone? If so, how
would they get back without it?

Stop it, Nadia, she said to herself. Just trust. The old man
would not have sent them back if they couldn't return. Would
he?

They walked on, passing another area where bear, deer,
and other animal hides were stretched out in the sun, drying.

They saw several Indian men and women building a canoe out
of birch bark fastened over a frame of timber saplings. This
village certainly was a busy place, she thought. But, as they
passed, adults and children alike stopped what they were
doing to stare.

The Indian woman was kind and Nadia sensed no ill will
from her, but now, feeling them gaping at her, Nadia's heart
started pounding again. She thought she and her brother must
look like space aliens to these people. Her red T-shirt, cut off
jeans, sneakers, and bright blue backpack stood out in glaring
contrast to the deerskin-clad Indians. On this warm summer
day, the men wore deerskin loincloths or breeches and the
women were clad in simple dresses made of the same soft
skin. Many of the villagers were barefoot.

She tried a hesitant smile toward a small group, but there
was no response. She did not feel the same flood of kindness
and warmth from these people that she'd felt from the Indian
woman. She recognized fear, wonder, even awe, plus some
defensiveness. Not a good mix, she thought.

"Nadia, hang on a minute." Aidan nodded to his left. "I
think you have an admirer."

Nadia turned to follow Aidan’s gaze and came face-to-
face with an Indian boy about their age, perhaps a little older.

Like his neighbors around him, he was curious about the odd-
looking strangers being led into the village. But, unlike the
others, he was smiling. And he was smiling at Nadia.

"Never underestimate the power of a beautiful girl,"

Aidan said.

"Good grief," said Nadia. She rolled her eyes, shook her
head and turned her head to hide her grin from her brother.

But, with a final glance back, she saw more than the young
boy grinning. Standing nearby were several villagers, staring
after them. And they were not smiling.

At the northern tip of the village stood a lodge that was
much larger, at least two or three times the size of the others.

Approaching it, the shape of the gray bark-covered structure
reminded Nadia of a blimp or a capsized ship.

She followed the Indian woman through the open
doorway of the lodge and gazed around. The floor, dug
perhaps a foot deep into the ground, made the structure look
and feel much larger within than it appeared from the outside.

An elevated platform stretched the length of the building
against the outside walls. Ladders provided access to this
platform, which appeared to provide bunks or beds.

At the front of the big main room stood a single large
chair constructed of hewn wood and leather. The dirt floors
were covered with rush mats and a pile of hides was stacked
near the chair. One big bear skin, with bear's head intact, lay
in front of the chair and Nadia felt her blood run cold as she
stared at its enormous teeth. She shuddered; the brave Indian
woman had certainly saved their lives.

The sound of the woman’s voice broke the silence and the
twins turned to face her. She pressed her hands against her
chest and said, "Miakoda." She patted her chest and repeated,

"Miakoda."

"Ah," said Aidan, nodding. He pointed to her. "You are

Miakoda?" He smiled when she nodded in return and he
clapped his hands to his chest. "Aidan," he said.

She nodded and tried it out. "Aidan."

The kids nodded vigorously and they repeated this with

Nadia.

Miakoda pulled a couple of animal hides off the pile near
the chair and gestured for them to sit. Crossing over to the
wall, she pulled two long brown strips from a large basket and
brought them over to them. Then she quietly disappeared out
of the open door.

Aidan turned the strips over and over, examining them
closely like a scientific specimen. Finally, he sniffed one, then
cautiously bit off a piece. "Hey, it tastes just like beef jerky.

Probably venison, though. It’s good. Try it."

Nadia was too excited and nervous to be interested in
dried mystery meat. "When are we going to find Conall? Do
you think she's gone to get him?"

"Let's hope. And let's face it, things are going pretty well.

The Indian woman was nice to us, she gave us something to
eat..." As he chewed, Aidan turned in a long slow circle, his
eyes rolling over every object in the lodge. "And we're getting
a personal tour of history that scientists and archaeologists
can only dream of. I can't believe I didn't bring my cell phone.

I just kept thinking it wouldn't work here, of course. But,
seriously, the pictures I could have taken!"

Nadia headed for the door, saying over her shoulder, "I'm
going to poke around outside. I can't just sit here!"

"Ok, wait, I’ll come with you, we need to stay together,"

Aidan said as he hurried to follow her.

Nadia only made it a few steps from the doorway of the
lodge, when a powerful looking Indian stepped silently across
her path, blocking her way. Dressed in deerskin breeches and
moccasins, with feathers hanging from his long braid, he
looked fierce, proud and determined.

As she stepped around him, he grabbed her firmly by the
arm and spoke sharply in his own tongue. Nadia tried to pull
free, but she was held fast. A grizzled old Indian woman
rushed over wagging her finger at Nadia, scolding her in their
unintelligible language.

"Hey, what are you doing, let her go!" Aidan shouted as
he rushed to help free Nadia from the man's grasp. But, two
more men had approached. They were tall, strong European-
looking men dressed in tunics and breeches. They easily
overpowered the twins and marched them, unceremoniously,
back into the lodge, ignoring the kids' protests. Nadia's mouth
went dry and she suppressed a shiver. She would not show her
fear, she said to herself firmly, she would not.

There were huge daggers hanging, sheathed but ominous,
from the men's belts. Suppressing her fear became more and
more difficult, especially when she saw Aidan eying the
daggers as well. As she watched him struggle even harder, she
sensed his frustration and fear.

The twins were no match for the warriors and struggling
was useless. The men bound Nadia and Aidan's hands behind
their backs with rawhide straps then shoved the kids down
onto the rugs in front of the single chair. Nadia landed face-
to-face with the enormous teeth of the bear head.

Then, the men abruptly left the lodge, but through the
open door, Nadia could see the Indian brave who had first
grabbed her. He stood quietly staring at them and Nadia felt a
sense of his distrust, yet wary curiosity. The bottom line was
clear: he was posted to see the twins did not escape.

Aidan sighed. "Guess I spoke too soon about things going
pretty well."

* * *

Although her arms and wrists ached, Nadia fell asleep
where she had propped herself up against a wall. The fear had
worn her down. As Nadia discovered, you could only
maintain a fever pitch of stress or emotion for so long.

Eventually, your body just knocked you out. Curled on the
rug, his head resting on the bear head, Aidan, too, was drifting
in and out of uncomfortable slumber.

As the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the
lodge floor, the twins were suddenly jolted wide-awake. A
tall, regal-looking man entered the lodge, followed closely by

Miakoda and a younger man, who appeared to be sixteen or
seventeen years old. The twins struggled to their feet, which
wasn’t easy with their hands still bound behind them.

They had to communicate, somehow, Nadia thought.

They had to get free, and they had to find Conall.

The tall man led the others the length of the room
stopping directly in front of the twins. Nadia, her heart
pounding, stared at the threesome before them. With pale skin
and dressed in tunics, breeches, and boots, the two men
looked like the men that had tied their hands; neither was

Native American.

The older man, tall, strong and in the prime of his life,
was clearly a leader. Movie star handsome, Nadia thought.

With his wavy, black hair, and piercing blue eyes, he appeared
to be of the same Black Irish stock that was present
throughout her own family tree.

Yet, it was more than simply this man's physical
appearance that commanded attention. The power of his
presence somehow filled the room. Nadia tried to get a sense
of his mood or feelings, but there was an impenetrable wall
around him.

She was determined not to be intimidated – after all, the
old man had sent them!

Then suddenly she knew. Nadia took a deep breath and
stiffened her shoulders. Holding his gaze, in a clear strong
voice she stated, "You are Conall."

The man did not reply, but continued to regard her with
his piercing, deep blue eyes. The young man behind him
stepped forward, his eyes wide. Fair-skin, auburn hair and
short beard, he seemed to be about Heather's age, but he sure
wasn't like any of the high school kids Nadia knew back in

Cold Spring. He projected a level of seriousness and maturity,
but also excitement, Nadia thought.

The young man spoke. "You speak English!"

"Thank God! You understand us – awesome!" Aidan burst
out. "I am Aidan and this is my sister, Nadia." He stopped
himself abruptly.

The young man gave a brief nod of his head. "My name is

Patrick." He looked them up and down. "Where have you
come from?"

Nadia said, "We have traveled a long way. To see Conall."

She looked at the older man and when he did not respond, she
glanced at her brother.

Aidan said, "We were sent..."

"You were sent?" Patrick glanced at the leader, who
neither spoke nor moved, but continued to study them.

Nadia took over. "A wise shaman sent us here."

The flap of wings and a sharp "graa" broke the spell and
they all turned to see the raven glide the length of the lodge. It
floated softly past Patrick, Miakoda, and the older man, and
came to rest, gently, on Aidan's shoulder.

Startled, Aidan's eyes grew wide and Nadia mouthed an
involuntary, "Wow." There the great bird sat, quiet and regal,
on his shoulder, while Nadia struggled to contain her
excitement.

Miakoda reached for the older man's arm and spoke to
him softly, in the melodic tongue the twins had heard before
on Ninham Mountain.

Then, Patrick spoke again, to the twins. "Miakoda tells us
that the raven took her to the forest today to meet you."

The kids stared at Miakoda. Silence held for a moment,
then the older man gestured to Patrick to free them and waited
as the kids' restraints were loosened. Nadia rubbed at the
places on her wrist that had been chafed raw by the leather tie.

"Why have you come?" the older man asked in a deep,
rich voice, a voice that held command.

Aidan shouted, "You speak English!"

Patrick explained. "He speaks the language spoken by
anyone near him."

In her surprise and excitement, Nadia spoke without
thinking. "You are Conall! Sir, we were sent to find you – we
need your help!"

"Nadia." Aidan's voice held a warning tone.

She turned to him quickly, but spoke softly. "The old man
told us, 'Seek Conall.'"

"But," Aidan whispered, "we don't know–" He stopped
abruptly.

Nadia realized he was uncomfortable being unable to
speak openly. But, she was sure that these people were their
friends. "Trust me, Aidan. I know."

Aidan met her eyes, then slowly said, "You're right. The
raven has cleared the way." He reached up to touch the huge
bird gently and it responded with a soft, "Graa."

Patrick said, "The raven seems to know you."

Aidan nodded. "What we are about to tell you will sound
unbelievable," he began. "We traveled here from the future –
a long way into the future – in search of a special plant. This
plant heals the sick and it is needed in our time. Our father is
a scientist searching for a cure –"

Conall held up his hand, cutting Aidan off, and turned to

Patrick, who directed his next words to Conall and Miakoda.

"A scientist is someone who studies the world through
observation and experiment," Patrick explained. He turned
back to the kids. "I take it your father is a doctor?"

The twins nodded and Nadia continued with their tale. "A
wise old man appeared to us in a mirror –"

Once again, Patrick had to explain to Conall. Of course,
thought Nadia, there were no mirrors in 459!

"A mirror is a thing that lets you see your own reflection."

Patrick thought for a moment. "Very like looking down into a
still lake."

Conall spoke softly in yet another language, to Miakoda.

Obviously, he was sharing this with her, thought Nadia, and
the woman smiled gently at the kids. Nadia met the lovely

Indian woman's eyes and felt herself relax. It was as if her
mom had given her a hug. Maybe everything was going to be
all right.

Aidan addressed the three people standing before them,

"The plant we are looking for looks like a black fern. We need
to take it back to our time..." His voice trailed off.

"By using the black Ravenstone." Conall was not asking,
he spoke surely and calmly. He strode over to the wall behind
the large chair, grabbed the corner of an intricate silk tapestry
and calmly pulled it away. There, on the wall beneath it, was
an exquisitely decorated shield. It was approximately two feet
in diameter, with a large black raven engraved in the center.

Mounted on the shield's entire outer edge were eight black
stones. And a wreath of Celtic knot design encircled the
central image of the raven.

As beautiful and impressive as the shield was, what
captured the twins’ attention was the fact that the shield was
glowing. Just as the Ravenstone glowed in the doorway of the
chamber, the shield pulsed with light as though it had a life of
its own.

Chapter 19

"You traveled through the doorway of the stone
chamber," said Conall.

Nadia pulled her eyes away from the glowing shield on
the wall. It was mesmerizingly beautiful, a work of art. And it
clearly held power and magic.

Aidan asked, "How do you know that we– " His eyes
widened. "Oh. If you know about the stone and the
chamber…" He stopped.

Conall sat down in the chair under the shield and
motioned for them to sit, as well. "I created the Ravenstone."

He paused, then looked away, lost in thought.

The kids stood stunned, silenced, staring at Conall.

Then, Patrick picked up with the story. "It was created
with the help of the greatest shaman leader in Iar Connacht, in
the north-western corner of Ireland. Conall and his brother

Kane carved it from the black basalt stone of the Giant's

Causeway."

Conall turned back to the two young people before him.

"So yes, Aidan and Nadia, I know of the Ravenstone. And
now, what you must know is that it is not safe here. It was
sent to the future for a reason and must go back. I know you
have it with you in the bag on your back."

Aidan hesitated, then reached into his pack and pulled out
the stone. Like the nearby shield hanging on the wall, the

Ravenstone was glowing red and gold, pulsing slowly.

"It speaks to the shield. They are of one mind." Conall
stood, pointing at the stone. "But it must leave this time and
place and soon. Or it will bring great danger."

Nadia's heart started to race. Now what? Just when she
thought everything was going to work out. "What... great
danger?" She spoke tentatively, still unsure of her place
conversing with this great man. He created the Ravenstone!

She could only imagine the power he must hold.

"Give the stone to me," demanded Conall. The command
in his voice was impossible to ignore and Aidan found he had
taken a step toward him before he even thought, or could
respond. He stopped himself abruptly.

Nadia felt the fear course through her and she knew

Aidan felt it too. How could they just hand over the

Ravenstone? After all, it was their only way to get home! To
ever see their mom and dad again!

As Conall stood with his hand outstretched for the stone,

Patrick said quickly, "It will be safer with Conall."

Conall spoke again, more gently this time. "We desire the
same thing, young Aidan, for you to go home to your time and
take the stone with you. We will lead you to the powerful
healing herb you call the Black Fern. But until we do, the
stone is safer with me. If you keep it, there will be great risk."

Patrick added, "Believe me, no one would dare try to take
it from Conall."

Nadia's moment of fear passed and she slowly began to
accept the wisdom of their words. She took a deep breath,
studied Conall and began to experience calm acceptance and a
true sense of the older man's goodwill.

Locking eyes with Aidan, she nodded. Her brother
studied her for a moment, then, as if he sensed her thoughts
and agreed on some unspoken level, he slowly placed the
black stone in Conall's hand. The twins watched as the older
man slipped it into a pouch inside his tunic. Aidan's eyes
lingered on the pouch. And on the man they had traveled so
far to meet.

Nadia heard her twin brother's thoughts as if he had
spoken them aloud. I hope this does not come back to haunt
me, she heard. Placing their trust in someone they didn't know
was huge. This must be to do with my ability to read people,
she thought. Is that power growing? And was it somehow
thanks to the Ravenstone? In any event, I hope this is not one
of the times I am wrong, she thought with a shudder.

* * *

Nadia was stuffed. She didn't think she'd ever eaten so
much meat at one time in her life. But oh, my, was it ever
delicious! Elk meat, which Patrick, Conall, and the other
village hunters had brought home today was roasted over an
open fire. If she felt full, how must Aidan feel? He'd eaten
twice what she had! But then, Mom always said he had a
hollow leg.

Most of the villagers, it seemed, had finally begun to
accept the presence of the twins. As odd as we must look to
them, Nadia thought, we're just kids. Also, sitting with

Patrick, Miakoda, and Conall makes us acceptable, if not
understandable.

Many of the Indians had gone to their lodges for the
night, others sat in groups nearby, or on the other side of the
huge fire pit, talking, relaxing, and munching on dried berries.

But, from time to time throughout the evening, they would
turn to stare again, warily, at the intruders in their strange
clothes.

Nadia leaned back on her elbows on a deerskin hide
under her and gazed up at the starry sky. Silvery smoke from
the waning fire curled upward, creating feathery swirls that
disappeared into the stars. And what stars! She had never seen
so many stars, so brilliant and clear, a sparkling multitude
across the night sky. The stars did not have to compete with
artificial light from the Earth; there were no cities with
skyscrapers surrounded by acres of illuminated parking lots,
connected by ribbons of highway. There was nothing. Light
from electricity had not been invented yet!

What a day it had been. She could hardly believe that
twelve short hours ago she'd been eating breakfast with Nana

Jean in New Hampshire. It felt like a million miles and a
lifetime ago. Nadia shook her head slightly, in amazement.

"I will now tell you my story." Patrick's voice brought

Nadia back from her contemplations and she sat up to listen
and focus. She and Aidan were eager to learn who Patrick
was, where he was from and how exactly an English-speaking
teenager ended up in the Hudson Valley a hundred years
before Henry Hudson sailed up the river. Why was an Irish
shaman living here in the Hudson Valley? And what was the

"great danger" Conall had spoken of? Although, Nadia hated
to add the chill of fear to this beautiful June evening.

The twins had bombarded Patrick with these questions,
but he had just said, "Later, I will explain everything, later."

Instead, during the feast, the twins had learned more about

Conall and Mia. They were highly revered in the village and

Conall was, in fact, the leader of this small tribe, even though
he was not Native American. Miakoda, too, was held in high
regard as the daughter of a great Wappinger chief and

"Queen" of this village.

They'd also learned that far from being a surprise, the
arrival of the twins was somehow expected. Conall had turned
the hunting party back to the village early. When Patrick had
asked him why, Conall's brief reply was, "Great change is
upon us. The shield is calling to me. We must return at once."

Patrick began to speak, slowly, as if wondering where to
start. "Conall is as a father to me." Nadia and Aidan waited
expectantly. Patrick looked around, ensuring there were no
villagers within earshot and said, softly, "I too know of the
stone, I time-traveled with it four years ago." He gazed into
the fire, his eyes far away. "My twin sister and I found the
stone. The time-travel was an accident. I wanted so much to
see where the stone was created, to be there during that time!

We were torn apart during the golden arc of light and sound."

"You've never seen her again," Nadia said gently. Patrick
shook his head. Nadia simply could not imagine never seeing

Aidan again.

Patrick went on. "I was thrown back in time, but also
across space. I found myself in northwestern Ireland, where

Conall took me in. He and his twin brother, Kane, are the sons
of a great chieftain there. Conall is only a few minutes older
than Kane, but as the first-born, he is next in line and is the
favored son of the chieftain. It was obvious Kane was not
happy with this situation, was not content to sit on the
sidelines. There is much bad blood between them."

Aidan asked, "Kane is still in Ireland?"

When Patrick nodded, Nadia asked the question the twins
had been wondering. "How did you and Conall get here?"

"The stone." Patrick’s small smile was almost rueful. "It
is all about the stone – what do you call it? The Ravenstone?

That is perfect. Yes, we traveled with the Ravenstone. As I am
sure you are aware, only twins can use the stone."

The kids nodded. They'd worked this out, but it was good
to have it confirmed.

"Conall had... has... two nephews who are also identical
twins. Those young kids brought us – six of us, all touching
the shoulders or arms of the kids. We traveled together, from

Connacht to the stone chamber on Ninham Mountain, the
same chamber through which I had traveled to Ireland. I told

Conall of this tunnel through time and space and he chose it
as the place to come, to hide the stone from Kane."

There was a pause while the twins digested this. Then

Nadia ventured a hesitant, "Why?"

The twins watched as Patrick absentmindedly tossed
some bits of meat to the two dogs hovering nearby. The kids
waited. Nadia curbed her eagerness, her impatience, to let him
tell his tale. Things clearly moved at a slower pace in 459.

She must honor that.

Patrick said, "The stone is imbued with many powers,
some intentional and some not. We learned it magnifies the
user's greatest skills and character traits. If a twin has the gift
of precognition, using the stone will enhance that power." He
paused and as he thought, he rubbed his fingers through his
short auburn-colored beard. "As for character traits, if one
uses the stone with honor and courage, he will become more
honorable and more courageous. Do you see?"

Nadia smiled and bowed her head in agreement. She
turned to her brother. "You wondered if our intuition, our
ability to read people, was growing – like how you got
emotion from Aunty-Gran at the stone chamber?

Aidan nodded.

"Well, it's not my imagination." she said. "It's much
stronger now," she said. "The power is growing."

"Yes, it is." Aidan agreed, "I feel it too."

Patrick nodded. "It is the power of the Ravenstone. The
more you use it, the greater your skills will become."

Aidan and Nadia glanced at each other. She could read
and feel her brother's thoughts from time to time. But today it
happened over and over again. Many times he had spoken
exactly what she was thinking. Or, she had somehow
managed to hear what he had not said.

Patrick continued. "Conall is a good and noble man. He
has many great skills and talents, all of which the Ravenstone
amplified. He is kind, brave, and full of honor. Those traits
are heightened by the stone, as is his great capacity for
healing." Patrick stopped, and gazed into the fire,
absentmindedly popping a few berries into his mouth. Then
he continued, "Unfortunately, Conall’s brother Kane does not
share his good and noble traits. His lifelong jealousy of

Conall fuelled his way down a dark path. Kane has chosen
greed and love of power and is utterly insensitive to other
people's desires or feelings. He is dangerously and cruelly
self-centered."

Suddenly, from off to the right, a wolf's howl rent the air
and Nadia jumped. It was mournful and haunting and sounded
very close. She quickly looked over at Patrick, who seemed
unconcerned. Even when a second wolf howled an answer
and Patrick noticed Nadia's shocked expression, his voice was
mild and calm.

"They will never bother us here," he said.

"The fire, right?" asked Aidan.

Patrick nodded. "The fire, the people, our own dogs..."

He reached down to the ground for a gourd full of water,
drank, and placed it back on the ground beside him. "Let me
tell you an ancient Indian legend. Inside each of us, there
wages a terrible battle between two wolves. One wolf is evil,
full of greed, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is of
goodness, kindness, courage, honor. Which wolf is it that
wins the war inside each one of us?" He looked over at Nadia
and Aidan, listening intently. "The one that you feed."

Nadia said, "And Kane feeds the evil wolf?"

Patrick sighed. "Kane has become the evil wolf. So, you
can see, he must never possess the Ravenstone."

Nadia shivered.

Aidan said, "And Kane is the great danger that Conall
was talking about."

Patrick nodded again. "That's right, Aidan. In the
beginning, Conall and the great Irish shaman believed they
could handle or control Kane in some way, appeal to his better
self. Sadly, over time, Conall came to realize there was no
longer a better self in his twin. He struggled with this for
some time and finally decided he must remove the

Ravenstone from his brother's reach."

"Why not just destroy it?" Aidan asked.

"Conall could not bring himself to destroy a tool with
such potential for good. But he had to keep it away from Kane

– if he ever got it he would be unstoppable Once we arrived
here, near the River that Flows Both Ways, Conall concluded
that the Ravenstone had to be sent where Kane could never
reach it. The twins who led us here from Ireland volunteered
to use the stone chamber, one more time, to take the

Ravenstone into the future. Conall hoped mankind of the
future would be more able to use the Ravenstone for the
benefit of all."

Nadia realized she was chewing on her thumbnail and
yanked her hand away from her mouth.

Miakoda approached and spoke with Patrick in her soft
language, then waved goodnight and disappeared into the
lodge. Conall remained outside, standing alone a ways off
from the fire pit, staring up at the sky. Nadia watched him,
quietly, for a few moments. His guard must be down, she
thought, for now she could sense his mood, his emotions. He
seemed burdened by a sense of grimness and sadness. She
couldn't possibly know the thoughts weighing heavily on a
prince, a great shaman. But, with all she had just learned, she
now suspected that the source of his concern was his brother,

Kane.

She asked Patrick, "But Kane is a long way away, isn't
he? He's across the ocean in Ireland? How can he be a danger
to us, here?"

"Conall assumes he is still in Ireland, yes. But, he will see
and feel the Ravenstone's presence in our time. You see,

Kane, too, possesses a shield, the mirror image of the one you
saw glowing in Conall's lodge. It will have come alive the
moment you arrived at the stone chamber this morning. Kane
will be unable to resist it and he will be on his way. It is only
a matter of time."

Nadia shivered.

Patrick reached down for another handful of dried red
berries and offered some to the kids. They munched for a few
moments.

"You see," Patrick continued, "the stones around the edge
of the shield are like the points of a compass. They glow
when the shield senses the presence of the Ravenstone. If the

Ravenstone lies to the east, the stone pointing to the east on
the shield will glow and pulse. If the Ravenstone remains in
our time, Kane will eventually follow the shield right to this
village."

"Won’t it take him a month to cross the ocean… at least?"

Aidan asked. "As soon as we can get the Black Fern we’ll be
back in the 21st century, safe and sound." He looked over at

Nadia and they both smiled in relief.

Patrick nodded. "Yes, you're right. We just need to get
you home… safe and sound."

"It must have been hard for Conall to part with the

Ravenstone," Nadia said.

"Doing what is right is often difficult, doing it anyway is
what great men do," was Patrick's wise reply.

Aidan nodded. "And what about the twins that took the

Ravenstone into the future? What happened to them?"

"We have no idea. That's a source of enormous grief for

Conall, although he balances that grief with the honor and
respect he carries in his heart for them. They gave a gift of
great service." Patrick paused and looked down at his hands.

"They were about your age. We pray they are well and
enjoying lives in a future time."

Nadia couldn't imagine being torn from her home and
time, never to return. "As for you, Patrick, you were alone in
a strange time and did not have the Ravenstone. Or your twin
sister. Right?"

"Right. When I last saw my sister, the Ravenstone was
still in her hand."

Nadia said, "So, you couldn't return to your time. What
year was it when you traveled with the stone – you said it was
four years ago?"

"Yes, it was 1892... my 13th birthday," Patrick said. "I
assure you I am at peace with the knowledge that I am where

I belong. Conall is instructing me in shamanic tradition and
healing. It is my path, I knew it from the beginning and I am
more sure every day. But, I do worry about my twin sister.

She never knew what became of me. I miss Nora and I
wonder – "

"Nora?!" Nadia spoke too loudly in her surprise and
several Indians nearby stopped their conversation and looked
over at her. "Nora?" she repeated, softly.

Patrick's eyes widened and his eyebrows lifted.

The twins spoke at the same moment. "Patrick and Nora!"

They stared at each other.

Then Aidan threw back his head and laughed. "You are

Patrick, who was lost on Ninham Mountain more than a
hundred years ago! You are Nora's brother – she was our
great, great grandmother!"

Patrick's jaw dropped.

Nadia said, "We are related to you, Patrick! No one ever
knew what happened to you!"

Hudson Highlands, Ninham Mountain, and the Hudson

River 459 A.D.

Chapter 20

The soft morning light dappled the forest floor as the
twins followed Mia and Patrick along the same woodland trail
that had brought them to the village. They quickly veered off
the main trail and headed south, wending their way through
the unspoiled woods and occasional clearings. The air was
warm and sweet and Nadia marveled at the pure sounds of
nature. There were no planes flying overhead, no distant
sounds of traffic whining along the interstate. Only the birds,
the breeze and the river competed for her attention.

The raven, like a sentinel, perched serenely on Patrick's
shoulder. Occasionally it soared off to disappear into the
woods, only to return a few minutes later, reclaiming his
position on the young man's shoulder.

Although Nadia felt exhausted from lack of sleep, her
mind was buzzing from all she'd learned, from all the new
jigsaw-puzzle pieces of this mission. After falling quickly to
sleep from sheer fatigue, she had woken in the middle of the
night to the distant howling of wolves. It took a while for her
heart to slow back down and then she struggled to sleep for
the rest of the night. She'd heard Aidan, in the bunk directly
below hers, tossing and turning as well.

Now, she noticed Aidan was yawning. "You didn't sleep
much either, did you?" she asked.

"I kept waking up in a sweat."

"Why? It wasn't hot," said Nadia.

"No... Every time I fell asleep, I had this dream or vision.

I kept seeing an ancient sailing ship under full sail. With a
crew of armed men."

Nadia looked at him sharply.

"Swords, daggers, the whole nine yards," he said.

Nadia thought for a moment. "Must be your overactive
imagination," she said softly.

"Not something you normally worry about with me,
right?" His rueful smile was short-lived.

"Be serious, Aidan. I think it's just your mind driving you
crazy. Since being clairvoyant is not one of your gifts, it had
to be the thought that Kane might be on his way."

"Yeah," Aidan replied. "Good then, that we have an entire
ocean between him and us, huh?"

Nadia nodded and they walked in silence for a few
moments.

Then Aidan continued, "But I do hate that we don't have
the Ravenstone. I felt better when we could get away. I
always knew we had that escape. Now I feel powerless."

Patrick, up ahead on the path with Mia, paused to wait for

Aidan and Nadia. He had been eager, last night, to hear all
about his sister Nora and the twins had told him everything
they knew: that she had become an artist of some renown with
a loyal local following, she had married, raised a family, and
lived in the same home for the rest of her life. She had died
peacefully at the age of 82.

However, it was clear Nora had never uttered a word to
anyone in all her years, about the Ravenstone, or about

Patrick vanishing from her sight that horrible day. She must
have kept the Ravenstone hidden and taken the secret to her
grave.

"Hearing about Nora’s wonderful life and
accomplishments has amazed me and set my heart at ease,"

said Patrick, as he walked next to them through the woods.

"I'm so relieved. For these past four years, I have had no idea
what happened to her that day. You see, for all I knew, she
was thrown into a different time and different place, just as I
was. It haunted me that she could be lost in time and I was not
there to help her."

That idea had not occurred to Nadia. As quickly as she fit
each new piece into the puzzle, even more pieces appeared
and the puzzle itself grew larger.

Patrick continued, "It must have been hard for Nora too,
she must have been terrified when I disappeared. We were so
very close. To spend the rest of her life wondering and never
knowing what became of me..." He trailed off.

Nadia exclaimed, "She never told a soul. Isn't that
amazing?"

They all grew silent, focusing on crossing a rocky little
stream with mossy banks. The woods ahead opened slightly,
broken by small clearings where grasses and wildflowers
grew. They could hear the cooing of doves or pigeons that
grew louder with every step they took. Nadia peered up into
the trees and saw soft gray birds perched on many branches.

Off to the east, the trees were so laden with birds the branches
bowed and drooped.

Aidan's eyes followed his sister's gaze. "Beautiful, aren't
they?"

She nodded. She was making a mental note to find out
what kind of birds they were. They didn’t look like mourning
doves but they didn’t look like the pigeons in New York City
either. They looked like something in between. And there
were so many of them.

"You want to know about the Black Fern, as you call it,"

said Patrick. "I only know it by its Indian name. It is a
treasured and much-trusted healing plant. The Indians
introduced it to us soon after we arrived here. I have seen
fever, sepsis, and other conditions resolve quickly and
completely with the use of this herb."

He explained that this plant was plentiful, but only grew
in one location, on the woodland floor under a grove of birch
trees. To reach the birch grove they crossed a large meadow,
its wild native flowers bobbing gold and orange in the
sunlight.

Reaching the far side of the meadow, they could see the
delicate black fronds floating above the moss on the forest
floor ahead of them. It was a veritable sea of black fern
swaying gently in the morning breeze. Nadia had never seen
anything like them.

Close up, the black plant was indeed a fern and it grew
happily in shady woodland, as did others in the fern family.

But it did not look like any fern Nadia had ever seen. Both the
stems and the fronds were thick and fleshy and were covered
with soft fuzz. The entire glen was filled with a tantalizing
fragrance, which grew stronger when the plants were crushed.

Nadia knelt down beside a clump of the plants and
plucked off a piece. She rolled the leaf gently between her
palms as Mia had shown her. Then, bringing her cupped
hands to her face, she breathed in the wonderful fragrance. It
smelled like a cross between sugar cane and vanilla.

Perhaps it was only her imagination, she thought, but
with the fragrance came a sense of well-being. It flooded
through her and she looked up to grin at Aidan and Patrick.

"Mom is going to love this stuff." Nadia knew her
naturopath mother would be thrilled to find a plant that
offered such healing. Never mind the fact that Dad would be
able to isolate the active chemical component and develop a
drug that might save thousands of people worldwide. That,
she mused, was the plan.

The twins had prepared for this moment, knowing they
must carefully transport the plants as safely as possible,
across time, to deliver them to their father. Aidan pulled out a
padded manila envelope and several self-sealing plastic food
bags from his pack. Mia watched in fascination. Transparent
plastic bags? Even Patrick seemed captivated by these odd
items from the future. As Nadia plucked the leaves, Aidan
carefully wrapped them in paper towels he moistened in a
small pond. Then, using his penknife, he dug down around
three of the smaller plants and lifted them out of the moist
soil, root and all. He wrapped the whole plants, with their
roots, in damp paper towels and placed them in bags, as well.

As the kids finished stowing their precious cargo safely
away in their backpacks, Nadia felt a sudden chill of dread
run through her. She glanced over toward Mia and Patrick,
who had moved further into the meadow and were busy
collecting wildflowers in a pouch. Echinacea, she thought.

She took a deep breath and there was a moment of great
stillness. Why do I feel so uncomfortable?

Then everything seemed to happen at once. Turning to
look at her brother, Nadia saw movement on the far side of
the meadow. It was Conall. He must have decided to join
them after all. The quiet moment was shattered by a loud
shrieking "Graa" and Nadia watched as the huge raven lifted
off Patrick's shoulder. Its enormous wings pumped as it
clawed its way up into the sky and raced, still calling out,
directly north toward the village.

"Conall!" Aidan turned back to face the tall black-haired
figure across the meadow and he raised a hand in greeting. At
the same instant, he heard Mia cry out, in her own language.

She was waving her arms and shouting as she ran toward the
kids.

Aidan took a step in Conall's direction, but suddenly a
dozen men, armed with spears, plunged out of the woods near
them and grabbed Aidan and Nadia, who struggled fiercely.

Her heart racing in her chest and terror filling her, Nadia
whirled and shouted Patrick's name; he was desperately
defending Mia and trying to keep the attackers at bay.

He was failing.

"She says that's not Conall, not her husband!" Patrick
screamed over the noise and chaos.

The tall man, who looked just like Conall, began to stride
across the meadow toward Mia. She spun around and broke
free from the man who was holding her. Rushing to the center
of the meadow, she raised her arms high above her head,
gazing upward and calling out, in a commanding, clear voice.

She whirled in a circle, her head thrown back to the sky, while
she called again and again.

What on earth? Nadia's arms were tightly held behind her,
as were Aidan's, held firmly by strange warriors in tunics and
breeches. With swords or bows and arrows at the ready.

The tall man reached Mia as the man pursuing her caught
up and they grabbed her and held her fast.

"Kane." The voice in her head was clear. Nadia knew the
truth and in an instant, realized the dire nature of their
predicament. She fought with all her might in a moment of
true panic.

" Run!" It was Mia's voice, speaking in her native
language, but Nadia understood her. "Run!" the Indian woman
called again, then cried out as one of the tall Celtic men struck
her.

Suddenly Nadia was aware of a sound that had started as
a low and distant hum but was now all around them and
growing in volume. It sounded as if a distant storm had
overtaken them. The noise seemed to be coming from
everywhere, swelling until it was deafening. The sky
darkened and Nadia looked up into a gigantic cloud. No, no,
not a cloud! It was a storm of birds casting a giant shadow
over the entire meadow. The swirling mass of birds was
descending like a winged vortex. Millions of birds flapping
millions of wings.

Through her struggle and gasping for breath, Nadia
realized what was happening. The beautiful dove-like birds
they'd seen weighing down the trees had lifted off and
answered Mia’s calls. Thousands of them blotted out the sun
and filled the sky with sound. They were swirling and
swooping and diving as though of one mind, like a school of
fish. And all the while, they were pecking and attacking the
men who held them. She could not see Aidan or Mia. She
could not see Patrick! All she could see was the dark shadow
and all she could hear and feel was the rush of the wind from
the countless beating wings.

Kane's men, stunned and terrified by this sudden
onslaught from the unknown, this dark magic, released their
captives and took to slashing at the sky with their spears and
swords.

The twins rushed toward Patrick, who broke free and
began to run northward. Through the din, more in her head
than from her ears, Nadia heard Mia compel them… Run!

Run! Escape!

"Run back and get Conall!" Patrick's cries were so
determined, so commanding, the twins instantly began
running north as well, for the wood line.

They heard Kane shouting, "The kids! The kids! Grab
them! They’re only birds, you fools, forget them! Grab the
kids!"

Aidan turned and shouted to Patrick, "Mia! We can't leave
her!" But he could not see her and Patrick grabbed his arm,
shouting to him as he pulled him toward the trees.

"Run!" he screamed. "Kane has her! We must get

Conall!"

Once shielded from view by the trees, Aidan stopped,
dragging at Nadia's arm to get her to stop, too. He ducked
down behind a huge fallen oak tree, hiding behind the root
ball and trunk. Back at the scene in the meadow, the huge
cloud of birds continued to blacken the sky as they tormented

Kane and his men.

"Wait, they are not following us, Patrick!" he hissed.

Patrick whipped around and dropped down beside them.

"Come, Aidan, there is nothing you can do!"

"Wait, Patrick. We can't just leave her! If only, if only we
had the Ravenstone – oh, Nadia, we could have used it to free
her, to save her!"

Nadia shook her head. "No, Aidan, no! We could never
take a chance like that! We haven't done anything like that
before. If anything went wrong..." her voice softened and
slowed. "If anything went wrong, all this would have been for
nothing. No, Patrick is right. Conall will know what to do –

Come on!" She pulled at him.

"Your sister is right. Hurry!" Patrick jumped up from his
crouch and loped off through the woods. Nadia yanked again
at her brother's arm and he finally stood up.

Aidan gave one long backward glance toward the
meadow behind him, then started after Patrick and Nadia,
toward the village.

Chapter 21

Nadia tried to focus, tried to think, as she raced back
toward the village with Aidan and Patrick. She refused to
allow tears. "We will solve this and get home safely. We must.

But, how on earth could Kane be here? Conall and Patrick
told us he was still in Ireland. She looked back for the
hundredth time, terrified Kane's men might descend on them
at any moment.

"I know," said Aidan. "I don't understand how he got here
so fast or how he found us in the meadow. But I know what
we have to do. We have to save Mia."

Nadia agreed. Somehow, they had to help Conall. After
all, wasn’t all this happening because they had arrived with
the Ravenstone? Weren’t they the reason Mia was now a
captive? Her fear hardened into resolve. This was their fault
and she was determined they would put it right. But how?

"You were born to this path! This quest is your fate."

She heard the voice of the wise old sage once more, in
her head. Her heart lifted and she reminded herself, again, that
they had been sent. They were not alone. There was a greater
purpose at stake and they were allied with a force greater than
themselves.

Have some faith, she thought to herself.

"The raven has brought Conall!" Patrick gestured ahead,
as he shouted.

Up ahead, striding toward them, were Conall and a group
of a dozen or so men. Three were his own Celtic guards, the
rest were Native American men. All were armed, either with
spears or bows and arrows, while Conall wore a wide,
intricately carved scabbard, which held a heavy sword.

Embedded in the sword's hilt, black stones caught the sunlight
and sparkled as he walked.

The huge black raven soared overhead, chiding with his
strange guttural "Graa," then swooped down to alight on

Patrick’s shoulder.

Conall and his men did not even slow their pace as they
passed, and the twins and Patrick wheeled around to follow
them, retracing their footsteps toward the meadow where
they'd left Kane. Kane and Mia. Patrick strode alongside

Conall and immediately began to speak in a language Aidan
assumed was old Irish. He was clearly updating his leader. As

Patrick spoke, Conall did not respond, and even when the
young man was finished, Conall's face remained as if carved
in stone.

Nadia found she had to jog to keep up with the small
army of men. Her head was still spinning – how could this
have happened? And what were they going to do? Could she
and Aidan take the Ravenstone and go to the stone chamber,
return to their own time and be safe? No, she thought, they
could not leave Mia in the hands of Kane.

As they approached the edge of the meadow, Conall
slowed while his men fanned out to either side of him,
forming a battle line facing Kane. Patrick stood at Conall’s
right hand, with the twins close behind.

Kane sat perched on a large rock at the far edge of the
meadow, chewing nonchalantly on a long stem of meadow
grass. Nadia noted the malignant smile and silently compared

Kane to Conall. She could just kick herself for having been
fooled.

Mia still managed to look regal and proud, as two large
men stood either side of her, gripping her arms firmly.

Kane briefly studied Conall from across the meadow, then
stood and strolled a few paces into the knee deep grass,
calling out, "Hail, my wayward brother! We thought we had
lost you to the bottom of the sea!"

"You are a coward, Kane. To hold a helpless woman."

Conall's deep voice rang out strong and sure.

"My dear Conall. 'Helpless woman?' I doubt that very
much. She seems to have wily ways, not unlike those of her
new husband. Yes, I hear congratulations are in order?"

"What do you want?" Conall barked.

"What, no small talk? Tsk tsk. And here I was expecting a
nice, warm welcome. Still, never mind." Kane seemed
abruptly to abandon his pretense of friendliness and family
spirit. His voice hardened. "I come for the stone which you
stole from me." As he spoke, more of Kane's men stepped
forward from the trees, to flank him on either side.

"The stone is better off in other hands than yours, Kane,"

called Conall. "Besides, of what use is it to you? You must
certainly know I will never help you use it. There is little we
agree on and we will never hold the same passion in our
minds or hearts. You are powerless to use the stone alone."

"But my dear Conall," replied Kane, "you've been gone
from our shores for several years and a great deal has
happened in your absence. Dear old Riordan, our great
shaman mentor, has passed away. But, he was, uh, persuaded
to tell me a great deal before he died. Such as the many
powers of the stone, of which you know nothing. And where
the stone had gone. I thought I would come pay you a visit
and lo and behold, my shield began to glow. Led me right up
the beautiful River Which Flows Both Ways. Things always
did work out for me, wouldn't you say, my brother?"

Nadia whispered quickly to Conall, "Sir, he is lying about
something."

"It is one of his unfailing characteristics," was Conall's
curt reply. "But how can you know that?"

"She is often able to read what is in people's hearts and
minds," Aidan explained. "And her power has grown since we
used the stone." Conall nodded as Aidan continued quietly,

"You should also know that one of Kane’s men is missing,
there are only 11 now… there were twelve."

Conall turned sharply to look at Aidan, his deep blue eyes
intent. "You are sure?"

Nadia said softly, "He is. He has a photographic memory

– I mean, sir, he can remember every detail of anything he has
seen. Trust me, he knows."

Conall studied the twins, eyebrows raised for a moment,
then turned back toward his brother, across the meadow.

He called out, "If you harm her I will kill you, brother or
not. Set her free, Kane. Now. She is not a part of this. This is
between you and me."

Kane replied, "Oh, yes, my dear brother, I am more than
willing to give you what is yours…" Then he paused and let
silence fill the spring air. "… in exchange for what is mine.

Your lovely wife for the great black stone."

Nadia gasped. Oh, no. She could hardly breathe. There
was a long tense stillness, broken only by the raven's "Graa"

in the woods nearby.

She locked eyes with Aidan. He shook his head
imperceptibly and she knew his thoughts: Conall would never
do it. There would be another way.

"Think about it," called out Kane. He gestured with his
arms, pointing all around him. "Think of this lovely land you
have found, your new life, your new wife, your thriving little
village. Is fighting over the stone worth it? You cannot win,
brother." He paused. "I know you do not desire bloodshed. I
am accompanied by 75 strong warriors – men who would
gladly fight to the death for me."

Evil, darkness, lies. It flooded through Nadia and she
quickly whispered to Conall, "Lies, sir. Not that many men
and they do not fight out of loyalty, they fear him."

"He is stalling, sir," Patrick spoke. "If Aidan is right, then
the missing man has probably gone to fetch the rest of Kane’s
men. He must have a ship anchored on the river. The rest of
the crew could easily be another thirty or forty men. He is
stalling, killing time until he has enough men to overpower
us."

Kane shouted again from his position across the meadow.

"You take your time, brother. You will see that I am right."

Conall said to the twins and Patrick, "Wait here."

Abruptly, he turned and strode into the woods, just out of
sight. Patrick and the twins stared at each other, as several
minutes passed.

When Conall reappeared, he shouted one word to his twin
brother, Kane. "Agreed."

The twins gasped, but Conall continued as if they weren’t
there. "One condition: You will take the stone and leave
immediately, back where you came from across the sea and
never return to this land again."

Kane shouted, "But of course, dear Conall, of course! I
wish you nothing but happiness here in your new life!"

Nadia, in her confusion and shock, stared at this evil man.

Suddenly she envisioned Kane as a long black snake, with
deep blue eyes, its long tongue curling across the meadow to
touch them with its poison. She shuddered. A nightmare, she
thought. I am in a nightmare. I will wake up and all of this
will have been a horrible dream.

"Sir, Conall, there must be another way. You can't give
him the stone." Aidan's voice was urgent, desperate, pleading.

"Let me and Nadia use it to free her – there must be
something else we can do! Sir, you can't give him the stone!"

As if Aidan had not spoken, Conall turned to Liam, one
of his right-hand men. He reached into his tunic and withdrew
the black stone with raven heads at either end. "Bring him the
stone, my friend. Make the exchange."

Liam nodded, bowed his head slightly to Conall and
turning, he began to stride toward the middle of the meadow.

"No!" shouted Aidan and he moved to go after Liam.

Patrick reached for him, holding him by the arm. "No

Aidan, you can't interfere – leave this to Conall!"

"Bring my wife into the meadow, Kane. Now." Conall's
voice was hard, cold and commanding.

Kane nodded in compliance and he gestured to one of his
men, who began to lead Mia across the meadow, toward

Liam.

Time seemed to stand still for the brief minutes it took the
three to meet. It felt like a lifetime to Nadia, standing at the
edge of the meadow in the shadows of the white birch trees.

Her hands were over her mouth and she had to remind herself
to breathe.

Kane shouted from the edge of the meadow, "No tricks –
show me the stone!"

Liam held the shining black stone high above his head
and turned it from side to side so Kane could see it.

Nadia’s eyes widened. Sensations flooded through her
from Kane: greed, desire, and obsession, directed toward the
black stone as it came nearer and nearer. Nadia drew in a long
breath, waiting, hoping, praying...

The two men slowed as they reached the middle of the
large meadow. Kane's man reached out for the stone, but Liam
held it fast.

"Release her!" shouted Conall from his position at the
edge of the meadow. Kane's man studied the stone, then
turned, still gripping Mia and nodded to Kane.

At Kane’s signal, he loosened his grip on Mia's arm and
she slid past Liam, on her way back across the meadow
toward Conall and her people.

Liam released the stone, never breaking eye contact with

Kane's henchman, then turned abruptly on his heel to follow

Mia.

Kane's guard, gripping the stone, marched back toward
his leader. Overcome by his desire to feel and hold the stone
once more, Kane strode the last few paces to close the gap
and grabbed the black stone from the man’s outstretched
hand. With a look that bordered on madness, Kane let out a
great cry of victory as he stared at the prize he held so tightly
in his hands.

But, his joy was short-lived. His look of victory changed
to confusion. Before his disbelieving eyes the great stone, the
focus of his obsession, began to move. It twisted and turned,
swelling and shifting. The stone was growing! Larger and
larger it became, until an enormous swirl of black morphed
into feathers, head, beak, claws. With a great cry, "Graa," its
giant wings burst forth. The raven lifted off from Kane's
paralyzed hands and flew directly above the meadow. Kane's
men let out cries of fear as the great bird mocked them from
above.

Kane's victory cry swelled into a great lingering shriek of
rage, which drowned out the cries of his men and echoed
beside the triumphant cry of the raven.

"Back to the village!" thundered Conall, as he grabbed

Mia's hand and gestured his men to turn north. "Run!" We can
defend from within the village! Gather all our men, all our
arms," he called out in his great deep voice. "Get word to our
allies and neighboring villages – we will crush the invaders!"

He turned to Liam, "Lead them," he said quietly.

With Liam in the lead, the Celts and the Native American
men headed off through the woods, vanishing from sight and
the twins, Patrick, Conall, and Mia followed at a distance.

However, once safely away from the meadow and out of
sight of Kane and his men, Conall turned right, leading the
small group off on a divergent path. He spoke quietly over his
shoulder, "Make haste, my young friends, follow me."

Turning eastward with Mia at his side, he headed for

Ninham Mountain, with the twins and Patrick hard on his
heels.

Chapter 22

For the second time on this strange day, the twins were
racing away from the meadow, but this time was very
different. Unspoken tension and anxiety were in the air. With

Mia leading the way, the group ran in loose formation, strung
out in a line, winding their way through the trees, with Conall
at the rear. Nadia knew Conall had placed himself
intentionally between the twins and his brother Kane.

They had diverged from the beaten path, which served to
make them less visible and harder to track. Mia navigated the
landscape as if she were a woodland creature, not a human.

Her feet landed unerringly on solid ground and she seemed to
flow over obstacles. Even Patrick found it hard going to keep
up with her. It was far more difficult for the twins and the
effort was taking its toll. Nadia found she had to focus
constantly just to keep from stumbling and Aidan was not
faring much better.

Everything had happened so fast, Nadia was still trying to
process it. Her brain kept replaying the image of the stone in

Kane’s hand writhing into a living raven and streaking into
the sky. So magical, so awesome, she thought.

Aidan, who was running beside her now, said, "Wasn't
that just awesome?" And once again, she knew they were on
the same wavelength. She gave him a thumbs-up but saved
her breath… and he grinned.

Patrick, just ahead of them, called back, between panting
breaths, "Nadia, Aidan try to keep your minds clear. We have
no idea the true extent of Kane's powers. He has the shield
and even worse, he may be able to follow us by our thoughts."

Conall, from his position at the rear, added "Whatever
powers he now holds, my brother will not be fooled for long.

We must make the most of our head start. We must get you
two away as quickly as possible."

Aidan called out to her, "Nadia, it's just as I thought, or
hoped, anyway. We are headed back to the stone chamber!"

Nadia's heart sang. Since he had not handed over the

Ravenstone, Conall must still have it, she thought. So, they
were going home! Oh, how she longed to go home!

"Patrick is right; clear your mind," said Conall. "My
brother is skilled at reading peoples' intentions, as you are,
young Nadia."

Everyone is a mind reader in this place, she thought,
feeling a warm connection to her new friends. Then she
suddenly realized why Conall had not taken them into his
confidence about the raven's shape-shifting trick. He couldn't
let anyone know his plan. It all had to be terrifyingly real, in
order that Kane not suspect the ruse. Clever, she thought.



As he strode northward along the woodland path, Kane
slowed, then stopped. He forced himself to settle, to calm.

Rage is a great motivator, he thought, but it can divert you,
lead you astray. And it is not a plan. He needed a plan. He
took long deep slow breaths and closed his eyes. The anger
inside of him transformed into determination. He stood in the
shadows of the ancient trees, while his men charged ahead of
him, pursuing the Celts and Indians who raced back to their
village. That’s what he had soldiers for, he mused.

He turned and tilted his head from side to side, then lifted
it slightly, almost as if sniffing the air. He grunted to himself.

Then he hauled his shield up and around from where it hung
over his back and held it flat in front of him. The black stones
on the right side of the shield, on the eastern side, were
glowing. So, the stone was nearby. And it was not in the
village. His eyes narrowed and a small smile lifted the corners
of his mouth. In one swift movement, he slipped the shield
back over his shoulder and took off to the east at a fast run.



Nadia focused on placing her feet carefully through the
wooded terrain, over rocks, under branches, through small
streams, jumping decaying logs. Aidan was right in front of
her and she could feel his exhaustion matching her own. It felt
like they had been running for hours and her breath was
ragged. She had a stitch in her side. No one was talking and
the urgency to keep moving had not lessened.

Suddenly she caught her foot on a root and fell, landing
hard on her hands and arms. She cried out in pain. Aidan
grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet as Patrick and Mia
hurried to help her. She rubbed at her forearm, which was
scratched and bleeding.

"I'm OK, I'm OK. Keep going." Although near tears from
the pain and exhaustion, she took a step forward. '"Ow!" she
wailed, "My ankle. Oh, no... "

Aidan took her arm as she tentatively took another step.

"Lean on me. We have to keep going." She nodded and took a
few tentative steps. "I'm going to slow everyone down!"

Angrily she brushed a tear from her cheek. "Well, I'll just
have to manage."

Aidan smiled at her, but she could see the strain on his
face. "I'll help."

She leaned on her brother for the first few steps, until she
felt she was recovering, somewhat. But, she simply couldn't
move as quickly as before. Come on, Nadia, you have to, she
thought. Mind over matter, as Mom says. But, I could kick
myself for not seeing that root.

With the sudden sound of a cracking branch in the
distance behind them, everyone's head turned in unison. Just a
falling branch, Nadia hoped. No one said a word, but the
alternative was terrifying. Kane.

There was no time to waste. Nadia and Aidan glanced at
each other, then pushed ahead, doubling their speed. Nadia
felt fear tearing through her. She gritted her teeth, intent on
running through the pain, when she realized it was feeling a
bit better. Was it her imagination? Or was fear masking the
pain? If that sound was Kane's approach, he was close.

When at last they burst into the clearing in front of the
stone chamber, Nadia almost burst into tears. She felt as if she
were coming up from holding her breath under water. They
had done it!

Conall urged them all toward the dark entrance to the
chamber. Mia hurried to join them. "Patrick, you too, I want
you all in the chamber for safety. Aidan and Nadia, no time
for long goodbyes, my friends, here is the stone." He plunged
his hand into the pouch in his tunic, but a flurry of movement
and a metal clanging sound sent them all spinning to stare
back at the wood line.

Kane, his massive sword held high, was charging toward
them. As the blade sliced through the air, sunlight glinted off
its steel surface, like sparkling shards of glass. The twins and

Patrick froze in place.

Not Conall. In less time than it took to start breathing
again, Conall had hurled himself toward his brother. Nadia's
heart stopped and panic filled her. As Aidan pulled her back
toward the chamber, away from danger, her mind raced. What
should they do? What could they do?

Kane closed the final distance and with practiced skill,
swung his blade down at an angle toward his brother’s weak
side. Conall sidestepped and intercepted the blade with his
own. The swords met in an ear-splitting clang. Sparks flew as

Kane's sword scraped up the length of the steel, to catch and
hold at the hilt of Conall's.

The brothers, now mortal enemies, stood face to face,
inches apart, calling on every ounce of their physical strength.

The long moment of intense struggle finally ended as Conall
whipped his sword down and around in a circle, tearing

Kane's sword from his grasp. It flew off to land several feet
away, with a clatter.

Conall stepped back, to allow Kane to retrieve his sword.

Honor, thought Nadia, and nobility. But, in a sudden flash of
understanding, she also realized that honor was only part of it.

Conall found it almost impossible to kill his twin, his womb-
mate. This was blood, family, and he would do everything in
his power to save the situation without death to his only
brother.

"Ah, always the honorable one." Kane grunted as he
caught his breath. He moved as if to pick up his sword, but
while ducking down, he pulled a dagger out of his boot.

Hissing, "Fool," he leaped at Conall, who yanked his sword
up just in time to deflect the blade, a split second before it
drew blood. The dagger flew out of Kane's hand.

Conall no longer hesitated. The time for honor was
passed, too much was at stake. He lunged at Kane, swinging
his blade in a fearsome blow. But they had learned fighting
skills together as children and trained against each other for
years. As if he had seen it coming and perhaps he had, Kane
threw himself to the ground, escaping the blade that would
have taken off his head. He rolled toward his weapon and in
one graceful move, was back on his feet, sword in hand,
circling his foe.

The two men, panting, circled each other warily.

Kane lunged, Conall parried, Kane lunged, again, again,
again. The repeated clanging of the swords was deafening, the
speed of the fight frightening.

Nadia stood terrified and mesmerized. She heard gasps
from Mia, who stood near them with her hands over her
mouth. As for Aidan, he was clutching her hand so tightly it
ached. This was a life or death struggle between two mighty
warriors, both at least six feet tall, at the peak of their physical
prowess. As identical twins, they could not be more evenly
matched. The consequences of the wrong twin winning were
unthinkable.

Now it was Conall's sword that went flying, his turn to
drop to the ground in a roll. He just missed, by a millimeter,
the mighty kick aimed at his head. He sprang to his feet, to
spin back and face his brother, who lunged once more. The
sword passed a hair's breadth from his face. He grabbed

Kane’s wrist and smashed it across his own knee until Kane's
sword flew from his hand.

Kane pulled back enough to land one mighty punch to

Conall's jaw, then threw himself bodily into a furious attack.

All pretenses were dropped, all rules forsaken. As they rolled
and wrestled and grappled in the earth, there was no other
sound but the grunting desperation of the brothers. Nadia
realized she could now no longer tell them apart, they were so
covered in dust and blood.

Suddenly, in this to-the-death struggle, Kane had
managed to regain his dagger and he slashed savagely across

Conall's chest. Conall pulled back as far as he could.

It was not far enough.

The dagger's deadly point seared through his flesh and
sliced through the straps to the Ravenstone's pouch. The black
stone flew out and rolled to a stop ten feet away, glowing and
pulsing, red and gold.

Blood pouring down his tunic, Conall staggered, but he
lunged for Kane as his twin rushed toward the stone. Kane
fought his brother off and threw him to the ground. Conall lay
still and silent.

Nadia gasped. She hadn’t even seen Patrick leave the
safety of the chamber and rush to grab the stone. But, Kane
had regained his footing and was closing the distance from the
other side. When Patrick snatched the stone from the ground,

Kane plowed into him like a charging bull. The Ravenstone
flew from Patrick’s hands as he hit the ground with a groan.

Kane whirled to claim his prize but screamed in anger.

The raven had swooped across the clearing and now clutched
the black stone in its claws. It winged toward the twins,
dropped it in Aidan's hands and came to rest on the doorway
of the stone chamber. The mighty bird's familiar "Graa" ended
in a victorious shriek.

"Go!" shouted Patrick. "Aidan, Nadia, Go! Use it, go
now."

Aidan hesitated for one second, looking at Conall's
motionless body and Kane began to rush toward them.

Patrick screamed, "It's the stone he wants. If it's gone
there's nothing to fight for. Take it, go!"

Quick as a flash, Nadia grabbed the other end of the

Ravenstone and began to mutter, "The night we left, same
time, same place." She locked eyes with Aidan, who
continued the words like a mantra.

Suddenly there was the light, the golden arc, the
cacophony of noise and the path drawing them forward. The
clearing, Mia, Patrick, Conall, and Kane rushing toward them
began to blur into a fuzzy haze.

As Nadia stared at the face of Kane hurtling toward her,
she saw him leap through the air, arm outstretched, toward
them. Oh no! His hand seized her sleeve. And his bloody face
lurched into view. Nadia tried to punch at him with her free
hand, but his grip was like a vice, his steel blue eyes boring
into her. She hit him with all her might, again and again, but
she could not pry him loose.

The unimaginable had happened: they had finally escaped
the past but Kane was traveling with them.

"Aidan," Nadia shrieked, over the deafening sound.

At the same instant, she heard her brother's roar. He had
grabbed the flashlight and it was now in his hand, aimed at

Kane's face. He punched the button and beamed the full
blinding light into Kane's staring eyes.

"Arrrrrgghh!" Kane screamed and let go, to clutch at his
eyes, seared by the power of the beam.

Then he was sucked away, still shrieking, spinning and
whirling into blackness, into the dark hole of time and space.

Chapter 23

The bright arc of golden light faded, the roaring noise
died away. The twins stood in the doorway of the stone
chamber, clutching the stone. A shaft of silvery moonlight
splashed across their feet.

Nadia let out a deep breath and waited for her head to
stop spinning, to the adrenaline rush and fear of Kane would
take longer to resolve. She was shaking.

"You OK?" he asked.

Nadia gazed around, getting her bearings, but turned to
him and nodded. "Are we home?" Her voice trembled a little.

Aidan took a deep breath, reached for the flashlight, then
stepped out beyond the chamber opening and swept the beam
across the clearing. "Well, it sure isn't 459 – look, the altar
and fire pit and everything is gone. Wait, we can check – the
bikes!"

He hurried over to the clump of pines where they had
hidden their bikes, with Nadia behind him, still limping a
little from her injured ankle. There, lying exactly where the
twins had left them, tucked out of sight, were their bikes.

Aidan reached into his helmet, grabbed his cell phone and
punched the home button. The tiny screen sprang to life and
the glow reflected off Aidan’s face.

"Well Nadia, we did it. We're home. It's 3:02 in the
morning – June 22nd, 2016."

Nadia was still trembling. She nodded. The relief was
enormous, but oh, what about their friends?

Aidan said, "I know what you’re thinking. Are they all
right? I mean, what happened to them? Conall wasn’t moving
when we left. How will we ever know if he is all right?"

"I know we had to come home but I felt so bad leaving
them in such danger," Nadia shook her head. "We put all their
lives at risk. We brought all that disaster to them."

"Yeah, but we did get the Ravenstone away from Kane
and we got rid of him, too! That counts for something doesn’t
it?"

She nodded, slowly, thinking hard. "I guess so, but where
did he go? Is he dead?" She shuddered. "It was awful."

"I know. Maybe he landed in some other place and time.

We'll never know. And I guess we will never know what
became of Conall, of Patrick. Of Mia... "

The kids were quiet for a moment or two.

"Well, let's go home." Nadia reached down for her bike.

"We have to get the plants to Dad."

"Wait a minute! Hang on, we can’t go home yet!" Aidan
turned back to the stone chamber. "Remember?"

"Wow, you're right!" She hurried after him.

She and Aidan had to use the Ravenstone; they had to
time travel again. In their panic to get away from Kane, they
had forgotten! If the Black Fern could save their dad's Project,
they needed to get it to him while he still had his funding and
had time to analyze the plant. They had decided on five years
ago. Considering the dangers of going back in their own lives
and possibly changing time in ways they could not imagine or
undo, they had concluded that the risk was worth taking. They
hoped. The plan was to arrive in 2011, in the dead of night
and stay only the few brief minutes necessary to put the
envelopes on their dad's desk. Then scoot back to current
time.

Once back in the doorway of the stone chamber, Aidan
held out the Ravenstone and waited for Nadia to take the
other end. "OK. We focus on the attic, in front of the mirror.

And let's get the plant envelopes out now, so we don’t have to
fumble around with them when we get there. I have no idea
what would happen if we were to run into ourselves five years
ago. We were eight. Yikes. Bad enough to run into Mom or

Dad or Heather."

Nadia grimaced at the thought. "Absolutely. Hey, you still
have the flashlight in your pocket? Going to need it – it'll be
dark in the attic."

Aidan patted his pocket and nodded. "OK. We are going
to the same night, same time but 2011."

"Got it," she replied, closing her eyes.

Together they focused and almost instantly the electric
sensations began, then the huge arc of golden light, then the
roaring sound. The stone chamber and the clearing faded
away and they were swept along the now familiar golden path
of time. They hung on tight. After several more moments, the
swirling energy began to fade and they were in quiet
darkness.

Nadia could just make out her reflection in the old cheval
mirror. Then a beam of light hit the ground and she could see
her brother, holding the flashlight in his other hand.

Aidan grinned and spoke softly. "Hey, gettin' good at this,
doncha think?"

She nodded. It was definitely easier every time, Nadia
thought.

Aidan gestured for her to follow, clicked the flashlight to
its low beam and crept down the attic stairs. Nadia waited
while he listened intently at the door – stumbling into
themselves or their family was not an option! Aidan looked
back at her, nodded and headed quietly down the hall.

Nadia stopped briefly outside her own bedroom door
where she assumed her eight-year-old self was sleeping. She
was sorely tempted to open the door and peek in at herself.

Aidan grabbed her arm and shook his head, hard, his eyes
wide. She shrugged her acknowledgment. He was right, what
on earth was she thinking?

The twins scurried on, making no sound as they crept
cautiously down the stairs. Geez, Nadia thought, we are
getting pretty good at this sneaking around thing, too, she
thought with a grin.

Then they slipped across the kitchen and into their
father's office. Nadia placed the envelopes, which contained
their hard-earned and priceless treasure, on his desk.

Just as they were turning to go, Nadia caught sight of
something stuck to one of the envelopes. It had caught in the
sticky adhesive of the flap. It was a feather from one of those
beautiful pigeons that had come to their aid. She gently pulled
open the flap, poked the feather inside with the samples of

Black Fern and firmly sealed it again. As she turned back to
her brother, Nadia grinned at him and shrugged, proud of her
little bit of mischief.

They made it back up to the attic in record time, without
incident and took their place in front of the mirror.

"OK, one last time, we are really going home now,"

Nadia whispered.

"Yup. We can go back tomorrow and get our bikes. Let's
just get home. Mirror again, OK?"

Nadia agreed. "Right. Here we go. 3 A.M, right here in
front of the mirror, June 22nd, 2016."

A few moments of concentration and once again, the
miracle happened. They floated through time and space in the
familiar golden light, along the glowing pathway. Then it was
over.

"We're home." Aidan peered down at his phone, which
confirmed the time and date. "Phew," her brother said. "Let's
be smart and put the Ravenstone where we know it's safe." He
bent down, pressed the tiny button under the mirror and slid
the black stone into the secret drawer. It closed with a soft
click.

Aidan shook his head and sighed deeply. "I feel like I
could sleep for a year."

"Home," Nadia said. "That was a really, really, long day."

* * *

Nadia slowly opened her eyes and blinked at her bedside
clock… 5:45 A.M With the lingering fog of half-sleep tugging
at her, for a brief moment she didn't know where she was.

Then it all flooded back to her. Everything that had happened:

the Indian village, their new friends, the magical raven, the
horrendous battle, the moment they left the wonderful plant
on their father’s desk.

She clambered over Nicky, who let out an indignant

"Mroww!" Jumping up from the bed, she suddenly
remembered something else: yesterday she had helped her
mom in the arboretum to propagate more Black Fern plants.

Wait, what? Arboretum? She peeked out the window as she
grabbed her bathrobe and stopped to stare.

There, built onto the side of their house was a large glass-
walled arboretum, like an elegant Victorian greenhouse or
conservatory. Wow, she thought, Aidan has got to see this!

She shot out of her door and slid to a stop at his. She tapped
softly and peeked in. "Aidan!" she whispered.

He snapped awake, shook off the cobwebs and hurried
out to join his sister in the hall.

"Come look at this!" Nadia dragged him by the arm to her
window.

"What?" He pulled back in surprise as he saw the new
glass extension. "Oh, wow."

"I know!" Nadia tried to keep her voice down, not
wanting to wake her parents, but she could barely contain
herself. "I think we've changed time. Things are definitely
different!"

"Things… there is something else?"

"Yeah – it's even weirder. I remember stuff from
yesterday – here, yesterday. I remember being in that
arboretum with Mom, helping her plant new Black Fern
cuttings. Aidan, before this minute I didn't even know what an
arboretum was and now we have one! And I remember
helping Mom and Dad design it! Come on." She scooted to
the door.

Still in pajamas, he raced after her, slipping downstairs to
the dining room. Where there had been a solid wall before,
there were now French doors. Other changes caught Nadia's
eye, but she didn't stop to process a different sofa here, a
different rug there. Aidan unlocked the doors to the
magnificent glass room and they quietly stepped down into a
glorious plant heaven! Tables and tables and shelves and
shelves of plants filled the space and the fragrance of the

Black Ferns filled the room.

Nadia jumped up and down and whispered, "Awesome!

But wait – this should all be new to me, but it isn't. You know
what I mean?"

Aidan nodded and spoke slowly. "I remember it all, too. I
remember Dad telling us about the new plant arriving on his
desk. I remember how excited he was when the test results
came through… how well it worked on antibiotic-resistant
bacteria. It was the happiest I have ever seen him."

"Oh Aidan, he's nominated for the Nobel Prize in

Medicine!"

Aidan gaped at her. There was a pause while they stared
at each other. Then he nodded, slowly. "Dr. Michael Shaw,
our dad... He is famous, now."

"How do we know this?" Nadia's brain was racing.

Aidan looked around him at the beautiful glass-walled
room, with the hundreds of plants. He answered slowly, "We
lived through those five years. We remember it because we
lived it. But, we have the memories of the other five years,
too. We have two sets of memories."

They locked eyes, then spoke at the same moment. "Let's
go ask the old shaman in the mirror."

Chapter 24

As quietly as she could, Nadia raced after Aidan, up to
the attic. All the while memories… new memories… of the
last five years swirled around in her head. Memories of a
different life that, until yesterday, she hadn’t lived. How weird
was that? Many things were the same, but there was a lot that
was different! There was joy and celebration when the Black

Fern was discovered to be a profoundly powerful healing
plant. There was her father's new state-of-the-art laboratory.

She was so proud that her brilliant father lectured to doctors
and scientists the world over. I mean, seriously, The Nobel

Prize in Medicine!

Although her dad's success had brought a new level of
wealth to the family, it didn't really change much about her
life. She still didn’t get to buy something just because she
wanted it, she thought with a grin. However, Aidan did get
that great mountain bike he wanted for Christmas last year,
something called a Yeti Enduro bike. That was cool. And,

Mom had promised her a trip to England next year. She had
wanted to see London for as long as she could remember.

But more importantly, she thought, having survived their
bizarre and terrifying experience, she was just happy to be
home… safe… with her parents and with her dad so happy.

She felt herself misting up.

As they approached the old mirror, it happened again:

Aidan said exactly what she had just been thinking.

"You know about the new bike they gave me?" When she
nodded, he continued, "Well, it gets me wondering. What
happened to the old one? Are our bikes still up on Ninham

Mountain, by the stone chamber? Or are they not there
because we changed time?"

Nadia thought for a moment. "That would mean... since
we were living the lives where Dad did have the Black Fern,
did we not find the stone? Or time-travel at all?"

"If we go with that... Then did we not find the

Ravenstone because we didn't need to? But we did find the
stone, that's how everything changed..." Aidan threw his
hands in the air. "Oh, man, you could go nuts thinking about
this."

Nadia remembered something else: the Passenger

Pigeons. "And what about those cool birds – the extinct ones.

Remember? The Passenger Pigeons?"

"Yeah, that was awesome! The birds that saved us! I can't
believe all those birds are now gone. I looked them up; they
were hunted to extinction over a hundred years ago."

She nodded. She was remembering that, at the time, no
one could figure out how a feather from a bird, extinct since

1914, could turn up in an envelope on her father’s desk. Her
dad had sent it off to be identified and they had learned about
the Passenger Pigeons. At the time, it hadn't meant much to
her.

The twins shook off their memories, old and new and
turned their attention to the stately old mirror. Awakened by
their presence, their intention, and by the Ravenstone now
tucked in the drawer underneath, the surface once again came
to life. The glass shimmered and rolled as the image began to
come into focus. There he was, the craggy old man in the
familiar brown robe, wooden staff in hand. Nadia could not
suppress a smile as the iridescent and ever-present raven
cocked his head and met her eye.

The old man raised his hand in greeting. "Hail, my young
friends. You have done very well."

Nadia was surprised at how much better he was able to
speak to them.

Aidan said, "Thank you, sir. We have so many questions.

And you are so clear this time!"

The old man nodded, slowly. "You are more receptive.

The power of the Ravenstone has grown and imparted some
of its power to you. You have both come a long way."

Nadia spoke. "Please, sir, tell us what happened to our
friends. Conall, is he... was he all right? And Patrick and

Mia?"

"Yes, although Conall was seriously wounded, he
recovered, thanks to Mia's healing wisdom and the power of
the Black Fern. He lived a long, full life, with his beloved

Miakoda and their children. And he taught and guided Patrick
who became a powerful healer and shaman, himself."

"Oh..." Nadia let out a sigh of joy and relief. She was so
deeply grateful and thrilled their friends had fared so well. So
odd, so sad, to think they are all dead, now and had been for
centuries.

"Thank goodness," said Aidan. "And Kane? What
happened to him?"

The old shaman's face became grave. "I will not speak of

Kane. Best to leave evil where it lies."

Before the kids could ask more questions, the old man
spoke again. "There is another request I must ask of you.

Bring your Grandmother Elizabeth here to the mirror. She
carries a great burden. It is time to ease her mind."

Aidan stammered, "Her burden? Grandma Liz? How can–

"You have trusted me with your lives. Now trust me
again. This story is not yet complete. I need to speak with
your Grandmother. Bring her to me." The image faded and
they were once again alone in the attic.

Nadia turned to her brother. "The story is not complete?

What does that mean? Uh-oh, what's going to happen when
we see Aunty-Gran? Wasn’t it just yesterday that she cornered
us in the kitchen?" She grimaced. "She said she wasn't done
talking about the stone... and she wasn’t happy. Yikes. But
wait, that was before..."

"Yeah, it's possible that now she doesn't know anything at
all about us finding the stone," Aidan said. "Huh, it’s so
confusing, it makes my head hurt! We’re going to have to be
careful juggling two sets of memories."

Nadia suddenly saw the humor in the whole thing. She
shook with laughter; hand over her mouth, not daring to laugh
out loud. It was way too early to wake up their parents and
before facing them she'd like a little time to get used to the
new reality! "We're just going to have to wing it, aren't we?"

"Uh-huh. Guess so. In the meantime, Aunty-Gran said
she was coming over to breakfast. I’m just not sure whether
that was old Aunty-Gran or Aunty-Gran 2.0..." He screwed up
his face like his brain was tied in a knot. This sent Nadia off
into fits of giggles again, which soon had Aidan laughing as
well.

"Shh! Keep it down!" Aidan shoved an old pillow over
her face and she laughed even harder. She laughed so much
she got the hiccups. She realized she was exhausted, relieved,
and a bit overwhelmed, all at the same time.

* * *

It didn't take much persuading to get Grandma Liz to
come up to the attic with them. They had dragged Grandma

Catherine's old trunk, full of photos, old diaries, and dolls
from her childhood, near to the cheval mirror. They just told

Aunty-Gran they'd found something in the attic they wanted
her to see and the older woman's eyes grew big. Nadia felt a
wave of uneasiness coming from her grandmother, plus
longing, and a touch of regret. She suspected Aunty-Gran
must think, or hope, or fear that they had found the

Ravenstone.

As she and Aidan stood near the mirror, the image of the
wise old man quickly appeared.

"Aunty-Gran, look," said Nadia, gesturing toward the
mirror and touching her grandmother’s arm.

Looking up from the trunk, her grandmother caught sight
of the old man, now fully formed as an image, in the mirror.

She peered, turned slowly, and moved a little closer to study
the old cheval.

"Hello, Elizabeth." As he spoke, the old man raised his
hand to greet her and Nadia thought her grandmother might
faint. Grandma Liz gasped and clasped her hands over her
mouth.

Aidan said quickly, "It's OK, Aunty-Gran, he's a friend.

You can trust him."

"What on earth... oh my... what's going on?" Grandma Liz
cried.

Nadia reached out to her grandmother and stroked her
arm, feeling helpless. She felt bad that her dear Aunty-Gran
was so shocked. "Aunty-Gran, it's all right," she whispered.

"Just listen to him. He has something to tell you."

"Elizabeth, you are not responsible for your sister

Catherine's death." The old man spoke firmly and clearly.

Grandma Liz moaned.

The old man continued, "What happened to her was her
destiny and she met it with exceptional grace."

Nadia's mind was racing. What? Aunty-Gran not
responsible for her own sister's death? Destiny?

Before she could ask what he meant, the image of the
shaman faded and another image morphed in his place. There
stood an elegant, middle-aged woman who looked like a
much younger Grandma Liz. She was dressed in a soft gray
sweater and slacks with beautiful swept up hair and pearl
earrings. This must be Grandma Catherine! Nadia thought.

Grandma Liz drew in a breath of shock.

"Hi, Liz." The woman in the mirror smiled and reached
out her hand, as if hoping she could touch the twin sister she
had not seen in 25 years.

Grandma Liz, her voice cracking and choked, stared at
her sister. "Cathy? Oh, Cathy, is that you?"

"Liz, I don't have long. Listen, dear heart. You were not
responsible. You have to let that go."

"Oh Cath, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I tried so hard to find
the stone, to see if I could go back to an earlier time before we
found it... to tell us not to use it again... I am so sorry I coaxed
you into making that trip to the future. If we hadn't done it..."

Tears ran down her cheeks. "If we hadn't done it, you
wouldn't have gotten sick..." Her voice trailed off into sobs.

"You'd still be here," she wailed.

"Liz, wait. Liz. Listen to me. I am content with the way
things turned out. This was my destiny, do you hear me? My
destiny. My purpose in this life was to bring Michael into this
world and set him on his path. Look at all he has achieved,

Liz, all the people he has helped. I am so very proud of my
son!"

Grandma Liz stood stunned, blinking back tears, taking
that in.

Catherine continued quietly, "Michael's path was more
important than my life."

There was a long, profound silence.

Then Grandma Catherine's image began to fade and she
called out, "Be happy, my dear sister!" just as she vanished
from sight.

The old man took her place. "We only have moments, the
power is weakening. Be comforted, Elizabeth, giving up your
life for the good of humankind is the greatest gift one can
give. It is the greatest honor one can receive."

Tears were streaming down Grandma Liz's face and

Nadia thought her heart would break. Aidan wrapped his arms
around his grandmother and she wept on. After a long while,

Grandma Liz took a deep shuddering breath and a small smile
formed on her lips.

"Thank you both. So much. Thank you." She wiped her
eyes. "May I lie down in your bedroom for awhile, Nadia?"

She held her hand up and shook her head when the kids tried
to help her downstairs. "I'll be OK, guys, I just need to be by
myself for awhile."

As the attic door closed behind their grandmother, they
turned back to the mirror.

"I have one last request, Nadia and Aidan Shaw." The old
shaman spoke again.

Aidan perked up, "Do we get to time travel again? With
the Ravenstone?

The shaman held up a hand. "You now know the

Ravenstone carries great power and you have proven
yourselves worthy stewards of that power."

"How can we help, sir?" Nadia spoke breathlessly, in
anticipation.

"Travel to June 6, 1892. That was the day Nora was left
abandoned in the doorway of the Ninham Mountain stone
chamber."

The twins stood silently, listening.

Aidan nodded. "Then what?"

"Tell her that her brother is OK. That he was not lost. Tell
her what you know of his life. That he was fulfilled in his
path."

Chills ran up and down Nadia's spine, as the ghost of an
idea crept into her mind. It couldn't be! Could it? She
shivered. "Sir," she said, and her voice broke. "Who are you?"

"Why, my young friends, do you not know me yet? My
name is Patrick."

The End

About the Authors

Diane Solomon enjoyed a wonderfully diverse career path
that included her own variety show on BBC TV in England
and major tours with Glen Campbell and Kenny Rogers. Her
highly successful singing career has given way to her lifelong
dream of being a writer.

This is the first novel written with her husband, Mark

Carey, a retired biologist, naturalist, and accomplished voice-
over artist.

They live in New Hampshire, on 55 acres of woods and
streams, where they spend many hours designing gardens and
meadows, and watching wildlife.

Website: www.EloquentRascals.com

Author's Note

Our apologies to Cold Spring and Ninham Mountain
purists, who may realize that we have played fast and loose
with geography in this book. Ninham Mountain is a bit further
from Cold Spring than we have indicated. But, it served our
purposes to tuck it nearer to the town, so we employed a wee
bit of creative license!

Resources

Books about stone chambers and other mysterious
phenomenon of the northeast.:

Mysterious Stone Sites in the Hudson Valley of New York and
northern New Jersey, by Linda Zimmerman

Celtic Mysteries of New England, Philip Imbrogno

The Stones of Time: Calendars, Sundials, and Stone

Chambers of Ancient Ireland, by Martin Brennan

Websites:

The town of Cold Spring, New York:

www.ColdSpringLiving.com

America's Stonehenge. www.StonehengeUSA.com

Diane Solomon & Mark Carey: www.EloquentRascals.com

Document Outline

- Acknowledgments

- Dedication

- Prologue

- 1892: Ninham Mountain, near Cold Spring, New York

- Chapter 1

- June 16, 2016, Cold Spring, New York

- Chapter 2

- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7

- Chapter 8

- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14

- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18

- Chapter 19

- Chapter 20

- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23

- Chapter 24

- The End

- About the Authors
- Author's Note
- Resources

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Dedication

Prologue

1892: Ninham Mountain, near Cold Spring, New York

1892: Ninham Mountain, near Cold Spring, New York

Chapter 1

June 16, 2016, Cold Spring, New York

June 16, 2016, Cold Spring, New York

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

The End

The End

About the Authors

Author's Note

Resources