Song of the Ancients (Ancient Magic Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

idea. It's not on any of the maps."
    Ignoring the burning muscles in my thighs, I climbed to the top and stopped, panting. "Wow."
    The overlook resembled a wide sidewalk, with steep drops on each side. The view was jaw-dropping in both directions.
    We walked to the edge and sat down, dangling our legs over the side. The breeze came up the ledge from the desert below, lifting my damp shirt away from my sweaty skin. I sighed and raised my arms over my head, stretching out my shoulders. The place slipped into me, a shimmering wind I drew in with each breath. It wasn't just the view, or the breeze, but a vibration in the air, not quite audible, like a dog whistle barely above hearing range. I closed my eyes and listened.
    I didn't know how long I sat, feeling the wind whoosh up my legs from the valley floor far below. At some point, the vibration increased, and I could hear words, in a simple melody:
    "Wakan, wakan, every creature,
    Wakan, wakan, every rock.
    Tuku Skanskan, the time surrounds you.
    From sacred earth we send our voices.
    Wachin ksapa yo! Be attentive!"
    I reached for Rumor, to ask if she heard it, but she was gone. I jerked my eyes open and looked around.
    Rumor stood, eyes closed and arms outstretched in a "V" over her head, oblivious to the precipice beyond her. The wind spiraled around her head, swirling the dark strands of her long hair across her face.
    I stood up slowly and tiptoed over to her, took her hand and pulled her gently away from the edge.
    "Oh." She made a little, surprised sound, like she'd forgotten I was there. Then she crossed her ankles and sunk to the ground.
    "Wakan tanka, we watch the Earth.
    To Man below, we send our voices.
    Wakan, wakan, every creature,
    Wakan, wakan, every rock."
    The song rode the wind, ebbing and fading until it disappeared, swallowed by the air currents from the valley floor below. I tugged off my pack and rummaged in the outside pocket for my pen, mumbling under my breath.
    Rumor looked up at me with a dazed expression.
    "I need to write it down before I forget," I explained.
    "Write what down?" She slurred her words and looked groggy, like Rip Van Winkle awakening from his twenty-year siesta.
    "The words to the song."
    She shook her head, uncomprehending.
    "The song we just heard. On the wind."
    Rumor shrugged. "I didn't hear anything."
    "Then what were you doing leaning over the edge of the cliff like you were hypnotized, with your arms over your head?" I pantomimed swaying with my hands outstretched.
    Rumor covered her mouth in the crook of her elbow and yawned. "Calm down, Sam. I'm fine." She stretched out on the warm ground, her daypack pillowing her head. "I didn't hear anything but I sure am sleepy. Let's take a quick nap before we head down."
    Totally exasperated, I found my pen and scribbled what little I could remember on the back of my hand. Wakan, wakan. Wakan tanka , I muttered as I wrote.
    * * * * *
    Tuesday morning, with the singsong chant still running through my head, I transferred my scribbling into a document on my computer before I showered. Tomorrow, when I got a break at work, I'd search for more information. But first I wanted to take advantage of my last day off and visit some of the art galleries in Sedona. I'd been here for more than a month and my walls were still bare. Maybe I'd look for some kind of impressionistic South-west landscape to complement my new plum sofa. Maybe add some bright red or turquoise throw pillows. My ex-husband favored chrome and black leather. In Sedona, my home would be filled with jewel tones.
    I ended up at Tlaquepaque, a Spanish-themed open air shopping plaza. On the second floor I spied the Standing Bear Gallery, complete with a nine foot tall carved bear totem guarding the entrance. I looked through the window.
    A man was seated at a large, half-finished canvas, his back to me. He wore a blue bandana around his forehead, and his long black hair was loose down his back, tucked behind his ears to keep it out