Daughter of Destiny (2 page)

Relief poured through Kai. “Sounds good to me, Grams.” She sat down and wrapped her fingers around the
chipped white mug. The cabin was cool because it was heated only by a wood stove, the embers dying down throughout the night. Kai could hear the snap and crackle of new logs that Grams had placed in the living room stove. Already the chill was beginning to recede as she picked up a cup and sipped the honey-laced, white sage tea.

“Tell me what you see in your dream,” Ivy urged.

Kai sat there and told her everything. She knew that a vision quest dream was more important than any other dream a Native American could have. It was a guide for that person, a way of showing her what needed to be done to make her life right. Shrugging wearily after she'd divulged the entire vision, Kai muttered, “I don't know
what
I'm seeing, Grams. What are these three pieces of carved crystal? Totems? Power objects?”

Ivy smiled briefly and sat up, resting her thick, callused elbows on the rough-hewn oak table. “Child, you turned away from becoming a medicine woman when you were very little. Originally, the firstborn child of a medicine family is trained, but you refused.” She gave Kai a kindly look. “I understand why you didn't follow the path. Your own mother did and she spent her life being beaten by your drunken father. You saw medicine women as being helpless and passive. You also saw that being a medicine woman or man did not necessarily make you a better person. And by all rights, it should. To walk the path of a healer means learning about compassion and helping others.” Nodding, she reached out and patted Kai's hand. “But the fact that you refused the path does not mean you were denied the vision quest for your people. What you saw in
your dream has to do with something that happened here a little over a year ago. Something our nation is in mourning about.”

Tilting her head, Kai studied Grams's hooded expression. She saw the way the tiny vertical wrinkles across her upper lip deepened with displeasure. “What are you talking about? Do the star, wolf's head and mask totems exist? Are they real?” Her heartbeat sped up a little. Kai had never gone on a vision quest before. Oh, she'd had ample opportunity, but she'd refused to join her people's spiritual path. She'd turned away from it entirely, so her knowledge of her heritage was sketchy.

“We have seven clans in the Eastern Cherokee nation,” Grams told her quietly, turning the cup slowly around in her work-worn hands. “What you do not know is that in the Ark of Crystals, which is kept by the Yam Clan, is charged with keeping them safe. There are seven totems along with the seven single terminated quartz crystals. Each totem is a symbol for one clan. A year ago, three men broke into Elmer Black Raven's house. Elmer was the current caretaker of the ark. When he came home he discovered that three of the totems were stolen. One was the quartz crystal wolf's head, the symbol for our Wolf Clan. The second was the seven-pointed star, representing the Yam Clan. The third was the crystal mask, which belongs to the Paint Clan.”

Kai sat up, her eyes widening with surprise. “Oh…”

“Yes, indeed. Oh.” Grams shook her head. “When our people lost these three of our seven very sacred and powerful items, the clans were left without their totems.” She
opened her hands. “You were in the U.S. military, were trained in its beliefs. The loss of these three totems is akin to the United States having the original Declaration of Independence stolen by thieves, child.”

“I see….” Kai murmured, beginning to understand.

“So the Great Spirit has come to you and is asking for your help. You've seen where all three of the stolen totems are presently located. This is great news for our nation. I will share it with the medicine society later today. Our people will be filled with hope. Since the theft of the crystals, we've been bleeding, spiritually speaking. These objects, which are thousands of years old, are sacred to us.”

“I didn't realize all of this.” How could she? Yes, she sent letters regularly to Grams, but her grandmother didn't write English too well and didn't own a telephone, so news from her was sparse.

Ivy studied Kai's shadowed face. “The Great Spirit is asking you to find the first totem, the one in Australia. You were also shown that two other women will retrieve the second and third ones for us. To find the crystals and return them to us will give our nation back its spiritual lifeblood. Without the totems, the three clans and the thousands of people who belong to them are suffering badly. It is a blow to our spirit, a terrible tragedy to our nation.”

Clenching her hands in frustration, Kai muttered, “But
how
do I do this, Grams?”

“Follow your instincts, child. You come from a long line of medicine people. On both sides of your family. I know you don't like to acknowledge this, but it will take your inner knowing to find this first crystal, the Paint Clan mask totem.”

“I refused training from Mom, Grams. You know that. I'm absolutely
worthless
when it comes to the metaphysical aspects of the medicine way.”

“You refused training because you didn't want to be a passive victim like your mom. That is why you walked away from your legacy. Well, you must have faith that the Great Spirit will provide you help through others who will be drawn to assist you in your quest.”

Kai stared at Grams doubtfully. “Listen, I left that stuff behind when I was nine years old, Grams—when my parents died. I never wanted to be like them. All I wanted to do was become a buzzard and fly on thermals in the air. I accomplished that when I became a fighter pilot.” Her shame at being kicked out of the Navy washed over her once more. “I feel as if you're throwing me to the wolves, Grams. I don't know what I'm doing. This is like having my squadron leader tell me to get into a combat jet and go fly, when I haven't had flight training yet.”

“I believe that part of your vision quest is about learning to have faith in our people and their ways, child. I also believe that you must learn to trust that inner voice of knowing.” Ivy touched her heart with her hand. “We cannot live without our natural instincts. Everyone has an inner voice that counsels us, guides us and keeps us safe and out of harm's way.” She smiled gently at Kai, who looked absolutely dismayed over where her life was suddenly going. “You mentioned that you already know a person who can help you. Why not go to see this man? Our people say that you must take the first step and go through the door of opportunity. Only then does the Great Spirit aid you.”

Lifting her head, Kai thought about Mike Houston. Going to him felt like the right choice. Not only was he formerly military, he was Indian and would understand the nature of this quest. Giving Grams a warm look, Kai whispered, “Okay, I think I see what you mean. Maybe Mike Houston can give me the next bit of guidance I need to bring the Paint Clan mask back home to your people.”

“
Our
people,” Ivy whispered. “Stop separating yourself from us, Kai. You are a full-blood Eastern Cherokee. You can no more disavow what runs through your veins than Mother Sun could deny her light to Mother Earth and all her relations.”

Shrugging restlessly, Kai sipped her tea. “I'll try, Grams. I promise I'll try….” But that was all she could promise. Kai had never gone out on a limb as she'd have to on this quest, had never trusted the teachings of the Cherokee people. The fact that she had to now scared her.

 

“Hey! You can't go in there! Wait! Stop!”

Kai paused before the door that said Mike Houston, Assistant Director. Then, easily avoiding the blond woman's grasping hand, she opened the door and stepped into the spacious office. Mike Houston sat behind a cherry-wood desk in the center, dressed in a blue polo shirt and tan trousers. He lifted his head, his dark brows bunched.

Mike watched as his assistant, Jenny Wright, tried to grab the arm of the tall woman who stood before him. His visitor was dressed in a black leather jacket studded with silver conches, the long, thick leather fringes on each arm swinging as she avoided his assistant's grasp. Jenny's ef
forts were useless. She was short in comparison to this woman, who stepped forward confidently, a black helmet with a white wolf's head painted on it beneath her arm. She moved with the grace of a jaguar, her long, firm legs encased in black leather pants studded with silver conches from hip to knee, and a pair of knee-high black leather boots. Her hair was the same color as the leather and swung freely around her shoulders, nearly touching her waist.

Mike rose. “Jenny? It's all right….” He held up his hand to the assistant he shared with his boss, Morgan Trayhern. He saw the frustration and fear in Jenny's wide eyes. She thought this unannounced stranger was here to do them harm. But as Mike glanced at the intruder once more, he recognized her as a U.S. Navy aviator he'd met a year ago.

Halting, Jenny sighed. “I'm sorry, Mike. This…this woman has no appointment scheduled with you. I thought she might be…well, you know—a terrorist….”

Kai swung gracefully toward the petulant blond woman in a gray pantsuit, whose balled fists were resting on her hips. Kai's lips barely twitched. “Trust me, if I was a terrorist, Ms. Wright, you wouldn't be standing here trying to stop me from getting into Major Houston's office.”

Jenny looked at her challengingly. “You're right, but your manners need some polishing. Making an appointment would be a good start.”

Kai's mouth curved a little more and she gazed back with respect. “You might be small, but you're mighty.” She looked toward Mike Houston, who was standing there grinning at them. “I don't have an appointment because Major Houston gave me his business card and told me that
if I ever wanted to see him, I could just show up on his doorstep. And I'm taking him at his word.” Kai glanced into Houston's laughing eyes. “If that offer still stands Major Houston, you can get this blond guard dog off my six.” That was a fighter jet term. The six was the rear of the plane where the pilot could not see the enemy coming up behind and had the advantage of surprise.

“I never break a promise. Welcome, Lieutenant Alseoun.” Mike held out his hand to her. As he did, he lifted his gaze to his assistant. “She's right, Jenny. It's my fault.” He saw her visibly relax.

Kai felt a tingle of relief as the major offered his large, square hand to her. The smile on his mouth had reached his eyes, and she knew his welcome was genuine. “Thanks, Major.” She gripped his hand firmly in return.

“Take a seat, Lieutenant. Can Jenny get you coffee? Tea?”

Kai released his hand and looked toward the still frowning assistant. “No…thank you. I ate lunch in Phillipsburg just before I came over here. I'm fine.”

“Jenny? Do me a favor? Call Miles Danforth and reschedule him for tomorrow? I'll need an hour here with Lieutenant Alseoun.”

She raised her chin and nodded. “Of course, Mike.”

“Thank you, Jenny….”

Kai set her motorcycle helmet on a chair in front of the desk, then opened the snaps on her black leather jacket, took it off and hung it across the back. She tugged at the neck of the purple mock turtleneck she wore as she sat down in the next chair. Houston sat behind his desk once more.

“Thanks for seeing me,” Kai told him.

“Not a problem. I remember you well.”

“You remember what you told me?”

“Of course I do. I told you that Perseus, our company, is always looking for warrior women like yourself. We never get enough of them.”

Feeling nervous, although she wasn't going to show it, Kai threaded her fingers through her hair, spreading it across her shoulders. “I'm not here to join Perseus, Major Houston. I'm here to ask for your help and support on something that has happened…. I have nowhere else to go, nowhere else to turn….” She frowned and bit her lower lip. Looking over at his square face, she saw his eyes flicker. Even though she had refused to become a medicine woman, the tradition in her family, Kai had strong intuition. She could feel Houston's interest. It was a good feeling, so she went on.

“First of all, you need to know some things about me. When you met me on the carrier a year ago, I was flying F-14s. I had the world by the tail. I was the only woman in my combat squadron. I'd flown in Afghanistan, and later, I patrolled the No Fly Zone over Iraq, where I downed two Iraqi MiGs.”

“That's impressive. You have two kills to your credit.” Mike leaned back in his chair.

“Yeah, well, it doesn't seem to mean much to the Navy,” Kai told him, her voice husky with barely concealed anger. “I just received a bad conduct discharge three weeks ago, Major Houston. You need to know that.”

Frowning, Mike sat up. “What?” He couldn't keep the disbelief out of his voice. Kai Alseoun was the first Native
American woman combat F-14 fighter pilot in the U.S. military. There had been a lot of press about that fact. His eyes narrowed as he studied her eyes. Despite her Native American parentage, Kai had eyes the spectacular blue of the glacial lakes in northern Alaska. It was the mysterious quality in them that had drawn him to her in their first meeting. They were large and intelligent-looking, with huge black pupils. What made them so arresting to Mike was that her irises were ringed in black, giving her the intense, focused look of an eagle. Kai Alseoun was a hunter of the first order. Mike had sensed that from the start with his own powerful intuition, just as he did now. She was a force to be reckoned with and not a person to mess with. He sat up. “A BCD? Impossible!”