Page 44 of Addicted in Blood
She pointed to the first one.“The poppy.”
My head snapped up.“Blood Poppy?”
She nodded.“Some call it the flower of life, others the flower of knowledge.”She shrugged.“It was a long time ago, and in spirit, they mean the same.”Her finger moved to the second image.“This is the ibis.”
I squinted to get a clear picture of the middle symbol.It was obviously a bird, and with the long legs it looked like a stork, except for the long, curved beak.“I’ve seen these before.In books, maybe TV.”
She nodded.“The ibis has been around as long as dreamwalkers existed.Probably longer.It is revered by many cultures, including our own.It represents many things and is the one symbol of the three that carries the most conflict among the great scholars of our species.I suppose not just amongst the philosophers but all dreamwalkers.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s in the interpretation.Some consider it a symbol of knowledge and wisdom.Some see it as a bridge between life and death, while others see it as a sign of rebirth.”
“Like the phoenix?”
She tilted her head, her forefinger rubbing the medallion.“In a way, yes.Not in physical death, but death of the spirit and the birth of new beginnings.There’s a fringe group who believe it’s a sign of fertility and healing.”
“And what do you believe?”
She laughed.“Always the curious one.”She leaned back, her focus a laser beam drilling past my outer surface, seeking what laid inside to sense whether she could trust me with something.Whatever she decided was impossible to tell, so I wasn’t sure if she might be holding something back.“In a way, all the theories are a piece of the whole truth—knowledge, rebirth, healing, fertility.They all play a role.”
“And the third symbol.It’s a dagger of some sort.”I bent closer.“There seems to be a marking on the hilt.”
She nodded.“Yes.The Dagger of Omar.The symbol on the hilt represents the connection between vampire and dreamwalker.”
I bent down to get a better look at the hilt.The symbol appeared random in design until Colantha used her long, pointy fingernail to trace the lettersDandVthat had been superimposed over each other.I didn’t have to be told what those initials stood for.Its symbolism of balance between the species was clear as a bell.
“It was at the Battle of Omar the dagger was forged.And that battle is something for another day as well.There are so many variations of tales, it is an injustice to not hear them all should you come to the wrong conclusion.”
I sat back and crossed my arms.
“Don’t pout.You have enough to learn in the time remaining.You’ll learn in the order I choose, not the one you prefer.”
I huffed out a breath, knowing any further resistance would waste time.“So why all three together?And I noticed they’re in a different order on the back.”
“This is considered the front of the medallion—the poppy, the ibis, and the dagger.”She turned it over.“This is the back—the dagger, the ibis, and the poppy.”
“Don’t tell me.It’s the circle of life.”
Her lips twitched, but her stern countenance didn’t slip.“In a way, that’s exactly what it is.But more to the point, it represents a true symbiotic relationship between dreamwalker and vampire.A physical connection if you will.”
“Wait.What?”I glanced at Frederick.Was there more to her keeping vamps around than mere bodyguards?
“There is a strong connection between the two species that has been lost over time.Some due to the ignorance of a species who preferred to hide truths, but most of it was due to power and greed.”
“The age-old dilemma.”
She nodded.“Some say we dreamed them into existence, but it’s just a fairy tale.”While she shrugged it off, I wasn’t so sure she didn’t believe some part of the story was true.It was best not to follow that path.
Another thought came to mind.“Is that why Devon and I have a strong connection?”
She studied me for a long time.Her face glowed under the spotlight, showing how flawless her skin was, and I began to suspect that she was much older than she looked.Like centuries old.But how could that be?
“I believe part of your connection is in fact due to your species, but I don’t believe that’s all of it.I think the two of you are very important, but…”
I waved her off.“It’s a discussion for another time.”
She nodded and stood.“Let’s put the medallion to practice and see what happens.”
