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The lecture began, but Conn and Mulan had yet to put in an appearance. It was open seating and we’d not been able to hold seats for them once the talk began. When they arrived, they would have to sit at the back.

“It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, Dr. Zara El Massry. She tells me her online presence shows her former married name still, but she is officially reverting to her birth name. If you are a member of the press and here to cover her story, please record her name correctly. Without further ado, I present to you our speaker for the evening. Let’s welcome her.”

We clapped dutifully for her and watched as she walked to the podium with a confident grace.

Rasmus leaned in my direction. “Okay, Egyptian,” he whispered.

I wanted to laugh and say that I told him so, but I didn’t want to miss what our spell caster said.

She smiled at the audience. “In the entire history of mankind’s existence, a single human drive has moved the human species forward. What is that drive, you ask? It is the drive to conquer, to gain power, and to create a lasting legacy beyond death. The artifacts I studied are all part of the efforts of many cultures to do just that.”

I felt Conn’s energy when he entered, but I couldn’t tell if Mulan was with him or not. If she was, her energy was drawn in so tight to her body that it never reached me even though Rasmus and I sat only five rows further down.

My attention was drawn back to the speaker as she got to the meat of her lecture.

“I’ve been studying the mythology of beings who are said to be watching over humans—creatures that force their wills upon humans as they deem necessary. They are known by many names, but the most common is the reference to them in the mysterious Book of Enoch. Enoch called these beingsWatchers. They existed before Angels, before Nephilim, before Seraphim, and before the other Principalities. Humans who have encountered them—if they remember the event—have reported they currently call themselvesGuardians. From what I know of their deviousness, a guardian could be seated next to you and you would never know.”

She chuckled in her sultry way as a ripple of unease swept through the crowd. I felt that future dread again and realized it emanated from her. I could see she drew great pleasure from making everyone feel it.

She waved a hand at the audience. “Indeed, do check out your neighbors. One could be a wicked guardian in disguise. They take human form to move among us unseen, unknown, and unstoppable.”

I glanced at Rasmus out of the corner of my eye. He seemed riveted by what she was saying, but no recognition showed on his face.

“Legends of guardians are sparse, but like great flood myths, stories of their existence are found in every culture. Within those stories is a hidden history of Earth that goes back hundreds of thousands of years ago. That hidden history specifies that numerous non-human species have risen to thrive and then left. Due to limited time, I can’t tell you about dragons tonight, even though they were the first Earth species. But you can read about them in my latest book. Take a moment to look it up and add it to your shopping cart.”

She paused her speaking and pulled a glass of water from under the podium. As she sipped water, phones dinged and screens lit as nearly everyone present did as she asked. Now I was riveted because Dr. Zara El Massry was pretty much repeating what the old Rasmus had told me.

Zara chuckled again as she stashed the water back in its hiding place. “Okay. Let’s move on. It is actually the second Earth species that I plan to discuss this evening. They came here to Earth as orphaned souls after their planet got destroyed by a highly destructive solar event. Driven by a fear of total annihilation, the Venusians spent their lives mastering the their own creation to make sure that no matter where they fled to in the future, their kind would continue to exist.”

She leaned on the podium and stared at the audience who gazed at her in awe.

“The Venusians unraveled the secrets of their dragon predecessors, like how the dragons preserved the shifting DNA in their blood. Next, they unraveled Venusian DNA and learned to control every aspect of their physicality. Within two millennia, the entire Venusian culture elected to evolve into the highest of beings—beings made of pure energy in the form of light. But their science alone didn’t get them to that blissful state. No, they got there by using the secrets of the dragons who shifted between a dragon form and human-like one as easily as they changed their clothes. What allowed dragons to make such a change? Brace yourselves—the dragons usedmagick.”

She sighed and moved back. Waving her hand, she sighed again.

“I know. I know. It sounds crazy because it is crazy. You can laugh again. Go on and get it over with.”

Laughter rippled through the audience and she nodded before laughing herself.

“I did the same thing when I read that they used magick. In fact, I spent five whole years reading it over and over because I refused to believe it. At the end of my studies, I had to conclude that there is indeed an invisible force on Earth that can be manipulated. Those we call witches, sorcerers, wizards, and even Druids have always known how to use it. Controlling that force brings a level of mastery over creation that up to now humans have only dreamed of achieving.”

I blinked as I listened. She’d just confessed how she’d done what I’d seen her do in my vision. Was it a Venusian chant I heard? How had she learned to speak it? If the old Rasmus and I hadn’t discussed Venusians, I would have never known they ever existed. I was still wrestling with the idea that dragons existed at all because there was no archeological proof of what Rasmus had claimed.

I was lost in my musings and didn’t notice the absolute quiet that had descended over the auditorium.

Rasmus stiffened in his seat. “What’s happening?”

On the stage, the woman pulled out her bottle of water and finished it. She carefully returned the empty plastic to its podium hiding place, unhooked her microphone, and walked down the stage steps as she headed our way.

I swung my head to see Conn and Mulan looking around in concern as well. Why hadn’t we been frozen along with the rest of the audience? Rasmus hadn’t been frozen either.

I watched the woman calmly walking my way and braced myself.

“Up,” I commanded, rising to my feet. “Never face an enemy sitting down, Rasmus. They lose respect for ya.”

The woman was closer now. She was every bit as beautiful as I recalled her being and more so up close. Ya wanted to stare at her and never look away. She smiled at me and didn’t bother even looking at Rasmus. “Have you figured me out yet, witch?”

I lifted my chin. “Guardians are the only beings who can freeze a room full of people. Ya’re a guardian.”