Synopsis

Rosa can hear the dead. That gift has already pulled her into impossible places… and deadly danger.

Now, on the Autumnal Equinox, Rosa and her cousin Jerome are summoned again. Their mission: travel to Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, and retrieve the second Golden Red Feather of the Phoenix. Because only when all five Feathers are united can Atlantis rise from the ocean depths and its lost people finally return home.

But Iceland isn’t empty.

Ancient guardians still roam beneath the Norse Star… and something far worse has arrived first. A shapeshifting Horseman rides the frozen wilderness, hunting the Feather, and willing to kill for it.

With earthquakes shaking the land, wicked laughter in the wind, and a mysterious Ancient One waiting in the ice, Rosa and Jerome must survive the most dangerous quest yet… before time runs out.

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

IT’S TIME

Standing here in my backyard, a slight breeze ruffles my blond hair with its emerald streak, my tribute to the queen who showed me the value of Nana’s gift. Some days I still wonder at the power given to me by Nana, a gift that she held close to her heart for decades. To hear the dead and actually talk with them is not something she took lightly. And neither do I … most of the time.

I breathe deeply, and my whole body energizes as the invigorating air fills my lungs. It’s crisp and cool and so welcome after summer. Even though I’m more than ready for spring after our snowy, cold winters, fall always refreshes my body and my spirit.

I love Colorado in the fall. The changing colors of the leaves start now with the cooler nights. Deep and light greens give way to brilliant yellows, burning oranges, and blazing reds. Nature’s way of welcoming winter. As the winds increase, leaves float down to the ground, building up so thick in places it’s like walking on cushions.

Spending several days in Egypt with King Tut, almost two years ago, cured me of any fondness I had for the sun. The intense heat, the sweat running down my body, the struggle to breathe at times, I decided all that was best left behind.

I touch the golden ankh hanging around my neck, embracing this gift from King Tut and his queen Ankhesenamun after reuniting them in death. Sometimes I still find it impossible to believe that I freely, if a bit reluctantly, gave my hand to a ghost to transport me back to 1330 BC. ancient Egypt! I’ve heard voices of the dead for years, but never felt the presence of one within my soul as I did with Ankhesenamun.

Shivers still run through me when I think about the time wrap that Tut used to transport us back in time. The nausea and cold sweat. My world spinning out of control. Stars zipping across my vision. Suddenly, finding myself in the palace where he and Hesena, his boyhood name for her, grew up. Where they found out that Tut’s father had a zoo. Where Tut’s father Akhenaten first acknowledged him as his son. Where I first saw the Window of Appearances. Where my world, my real world, changed forever.

I remember our struggle to find Ay and the secret to Hesena’s burial. The clues hidden on the stella at the Sphinx, on the walls of Tut’s and Ay’s tombs, and the mystery in the hills above Akhen-Aten. The cave where I thought I would die by Horemheb’s hand! The same cave that became my Window of Appearances. Where I received the Golden Ankh from Tut and Hesena. And it is because of that deed, we, my cousin Jerome and I, were called on to help raise Atlantis so its people still living here could return home.

Jerome, well, he discovered his gift on our visit to Grandpa on Telendos. One neither of us knew he possessed. His ability to hear and talk to the Atlantean Horse statue on Telendos just by touching it surprised all of us. But I still wonder whether Grandpa always knew, and if that was why he invited both of us to visit him in June, on the Sun Day, to recover the first Feather of the Phoenix. A task entrusted to me by the ancient Atlantean. And then later by Grandpa.

I still remember his words: We’re descendants of Atlantis.

And his answer when we asked why no one in our family ever spoke of this:

Your parents have never spoken of this to you because they are not aware. There’s a lot of magic in this world. Magic that people choose to not believe in because it’s easier that way. The ability to hear voices from the past is not shared by all in the family.

My grandfather passed the information about our heritage down to me. Neither my father nor my mother ever knew. They didn’t hear, but I did, and so did your Nana.

And now, so do I. I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer and believer in magic. I mean, I even believe in unicorns. Believe that they are somewhere in our world today. Do you?

As for Jerome, I’m not sure that he fully believes in magic, even after Telendos. He definitely doesn’t believe in unicorns. At least not yet! He’s more of a concrete thinker. Me, not so much!

Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox. No sign or word from Grandpa or the Atlantean visitor about retrieving the next Feather. Surprising, but nothing I can do. Besides, we’re both in school. No way our folks will agree to a visit to Grandpa.

Checking my watch, I head inside to finish drying the pans. I want to be done when Jerome gets back from conditioning and comes for our run around the lake which is a few blocks from our houses. We live across the street from each other. He’s a wrestler and already spends an hour each day in the weight room at school getting ready for the season which starts in November. He hopes to take state this year as a sophomore.

The pan I pick up drips on the floor. Putting it aside, I grab a paper towel to clean up the water… and stop. Something’s happening. My skin’s tingling. The ankh around my neck pulses softly

“Hello, Rosa.”

About the Author

Cheryl Carpinello is a retired high school English teacher. Her Tales and Legends appeal to readers of all ages, particularly those who have struggled with reading. Through her 25 years teaching diverse readers, she’s found that stories from the Ancient Worlds and Arthurian Legend draw in readers of all abilities.

She writes Arthurian Legend focused on these cornerstones: Courage, Honor, Loyalty, & Friendship. Her tales from Egypt & the new series Feathers of the Phoenix meld the ancient/medieval worlds with today. The Atlantean Horse and Under the Norse Star, books 1 &2 of Feathers of the Phoenix, brings the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse out of the Bible & into the modern world.

Her Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales, short illustrated nature stories, help the youngest readers build their reading skills. At the 2nd grade reading level, these stories are suitable for readers aged 4 and up.

She also does classroom & zoom visits where students can create their own Illuminated Poetry.

As retired teachers, Cheryl and her husband love to travel. They attend college football games around the US each year and also travel abroad for fun and research. They’ve been to Egypt, the UK, Iceland, Norway, Mexico & the Caribbean.

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