The Code of Seven: Book 1, a New World Order

By Sherina HM

The Code of Seven is an elite group who can harness tremendous forces to influence events throughout the galaxies. Each possesses a power that they don’t yet understand or know how to control, and their destinies will be revealed in this first book. Eva and Nathaniel, two of the Code of Seven, led ordinary lives until they meet each other. The importance of their role is revealed in an upcoming battle that can affect the future meeting of the Code of Seven. Together, they open a portal that reaches out to the home worlds of the other Code of Seven members… but a dark force lingers in the shadows. Can the Eva and Nathaniel protect their home worlds from the insidious schemes of this new enemy … or will these mystical portals fall into the wrong hands?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: May 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483410319

Book preview

The Code of

Seven

Book 1

A New World Order

SHERINA HM

Copyright © 2013–2014 Sherina HM.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1420-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1032-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1031-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014936446

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 9/15/2014

Contents

CHAPTER 1 

 The Mountain People—Eva

CHAPTER 2 

 The Future City—Nathaniel

CHAPTER 3 

 The Guardians—Elixxium

CHAPTER 4 

 The Caves—Eva

CHAPTER 5 

 The Disappearance—Nathaniel

CHAPTER 6 

 The Fallen One—Theosus

CHAPTER 7 

 The Assignment—Elixxium

CHAPTER 8 

 The Gemstone People—Eva

CHAPTER 9 

 The Board Meeting—Nathaniel

CHAPTER 10 

 The Exchange—Elixxium, Floussier, and Perodot

CHAPTER 11 

 The Robberies and the Technocrats—Eva

CHAPTER 12 

 The Strange Dream—Nathaniel and Perodot

CHAPTER 13 

 The Magnetic Mapping—Theosus

CHAPTER 14 

 The Purple Image—Eva and Floussier

CHAPTER 15 

 The Nuba Board Competition—Nathaniel

CHAPTER 16 

 The Code of Seven Revealed—Elixxium

CHAPTER 17 

 Two of the Code of Seven Meet—Eva and Nathaniel

CHAPTER 18 

 The Code of Seven – First Encounter

CHAPTER 19 

 The Landing in the School of Nature

CHAPTER 20 

 Fatius in Elixxium’s Enclave

CHAPTER 21 

 The New World Order

Epilogue

This book, the first of a series of five, is

dedicated to my children, Nicholas and Gabriella, my husband, Randall and my mum, Zelina.

I always think our inner voice is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe. It seems to have wisdom more than our conscious actions and perceptions. It also assists us in getting to our final destiny. Sherina HM about her first book

Foreword

I

WAS THRILLED TO INDULGE MY

fantasies of simultaneous worlds and different creations in my first novel. Life, I believe, exists beyond our visible eyes and audible ears, and so too, it may exist beyond our world. It was a challenge to produce my first novel while committed to full time executive positions in the corporate world. However, I was blessed with two wonderful children who could always reignite my imagination when I stumbled and became buried in the real world.

While I grew up in the wonderful islands of Trinidad and Tobago, I currently reside in a relatively new and mesmerizing city, Dubai, which has inspired the city Hailey Blu in my book. I have also had the privilege of visiting several magical places…Machu Pichu has been especially influential for the Andean region in the novel. I work with projects that are Africa-focused, and the beauty and conflict in Africa has inspired the creation of Akrun. The second book will develop the characters of the other five members of Code of Seven. I look forward to my readers having an enjoyable time on this journey with me.

I wish to acknowledge, and say thanks, to the team at Lulu Publishing and to my first two readers, Araceli and Tim.

1   The Mountain People—Eva

E

VA’S HAIR BLEW AGAINST HER

face as she inhaled the fresh mountain air. The elusive nature of her ancestors ran through her veins, yet her dreams differed from theirs. They dreamed of spiritual influences on their land, while she dreamed of far-away lands. She sat in her favorite spot on the massive tree that she climbed five days a week and brooded, her eyes on the horizon. Her long, slender legs swinging, her body poised on the branch; she took in the scenery around her. Each time she sat in the tree, she took a different position in order to study the landscape from a different angle, but this was her favorite spot. The peaks of the mountains spread before her like tapestry woven in intricate patterns of mounds and valleys. The colors changed at this time of the year, her favorite, when the pink and orange poui trees bloomed.

Eva, come down from that tree! her older sister, Felicity, yelled. You have been there long enough for one day. Your chores are not even finished. Father returns today and we have much to do before his arrival.

Normally it would take Felicity much longer to get her down, but today her father was coming home.

Eva glided gracefully down the tree, her olive skin blending with the backdrop of the tree trunk. Her tiny nose, upturned toward the tip, twitched at her sister, her way of saying a loving hello.

Felicity was always amazed at Eva’s grace and her effortless natural beauty; she almost envied her. She wished she could feel as free as Eva did, but Felicity had to be the responsible one. For the first time, her village would embrace a female Head of Council, as her father would pass the baton to her. She was sixteen years old, and over the last two years, the village council had monitored her every movement and progress in school. They were guided by several qualifying principals as well as her Master Teacher’s recommendation. Like her father, she took on the responsibility with a full heart. She knew that her father was disheartened not to have had a son, but he had to set an example to the people in the village and knew it was best not to discriminate.

Felicity, Eva asked, will they be making the final decision about your inheritance of the Head of Council position tomorrow night on your birthday? Eva did not know that Felicity envied her grace and wild nature. She felt like a misfit in front of Felicity, whom she adored. She thought Felicity would lead the village righteously in all their affairs, and she was proud to be her sister.

Yes, they will, Felicity replied, her voice slightly quivering. Her father had seemed preoccupied before he left for his one-week trip. The Heads of Council of the nine main villages of the mountainous region met once every year to share their ideas about cultivation, the common use of one market for their produce, the movement of members between villages, membership with the central government of the country, and any other civil matters that needed consideration. They served almost as a high court for affairs of the villages. Felicity knew her father was preparing to present her as the inheritor of his position. Once the Group of Heads of Council, called the GHC, accepted her nomination, she would spend the next four years training for this leadership position.

Felicity, Eva asked, can I ask you a question that I think no one has asked you before? Eva thought her mum should really be the one having this conversation, but she plowed ahead. What will Sage do if you are confirmed to be trained as HC? Will he still want to marry you?

Felicity gave Eva a gentle poke to her tummy. Who told you he wants to marry me? she said, her head held high. We are just very good friends.

In truth, Felicity had been consumed with that thought. Would Sage be able to treat her as a woman and a wife if she were to train to be HC? She knew she would not be able to handle household duties. The wives of all HCs managed their households, so would her husband have to do the same? One thing Felicity was determined to do was to increase the age at which a young girl was expected to marry. She thought sixteen was too young. It was an issue that was more important to her than Sage was.

I know you’re just good friends, Eva said wisely. Anyway, I am sure he will not change his mind, so there is no need to ask the question. Let us switch to another subject. Do you like the headpiece I designed for you?

Of course I do, Felicity answered, more confident of this response than that to the previous question.

Even at her tender age, Eva produced the most intricate designs for the headpieces worn by the women in her village. Their traditional dress comprised a natural-woven cotton dress in khaki, with a delicate band of braids and a traditional headpiece. The headpiece consisted of a frame embedded with natural stones and multi-colored feathers.

The source of the stones used in each woman’s headpiece was a mystery. When a child was born in any of the nine villages, the HC held the child’s face above a clear bath of water, and from that water the HC determined which of the stones should be granted to the child. The people then kept that stone on cords around their necks throughout their lives. When the girls and women produced their headpieces, they acquired replicas of their stones from their village’s stone producer, the Gem Master. The Gem Master was the oldest person alive in the village, and he or she was very much a mystery.

Eva! Jaida and Pippa, Eva’s best friends, were running towards her and calling her name almost in unison, their words falling over one another. We knew we would find you here! Were you in that tree again? You go to that tree every day. God knows why you stay up there so long. We came to ask you to help us with our headpieces. We know your dad is expected tonight, so we wanted to see if you can help us before he comes. If Eva helped them, she would not have time to help with the chores, but Eva had a passion for the headpieces. When Eva redid a headpiece, each one looked unique and even more beautiful. It was her gift. She collected all sorts of materials that she could embed into the headpieces. But how could she spare the time tonight for her friends?

Eva thought of her chores. Maybe she and Felicity could just prepare supper and not clear the library or common room. Her father might not notice, and they could wake up early to clean those areas. However, she was not sure that Felicity would agree. Felicity liked to have all the books and common items in place when her father returned, as well as having all the sinks washed and floors mopped with fragrance so that her father would be surrounded by the smell. They would also place fresh flowers. Their father never mentioned the flowers, but Eva noticed his soft look when he caught a glimpse of the flowers in the vase.

I have to help Felicity this afternoon at our home, Eva said with regret. We have not finished all our chores. She would have much preferred to tend to the headpieces than to her chores, so she asked Felicity, just in case she would agree. Felicity sighed and said, You can go with them, Eva. I know you love to prepare headpieces. You did a great job already with mine for tomorrow’s festival. I cannot have your friends all watching me with envy.

Pippa and Jaida looked at her in adoration. We would never envy you, Felicity, Pippa said. Felicity wanted the girls and young women in her village to accept her position as HC. Because of the peer pressure from men who wanted to compete for her position, she needed the support of the village women and children.

The headpieces are at my house, Jaida said. Felicity, my house is before yours. You can walk with us.

I will have to run ahead of you, as I have more work without Eva, Felicity said. Let me run, and you girls can trail behind me. I know Eva is faster than I am, but you girls cannot keep up with both of us. Felicity smiled gently. Jaida and Pippa readily agreed. They knew Eva and Felicity were the fastest female runners in the village, a trait characteristic of their family. The only runners fast enough to compete with them were the male children of five other families in their village of three thousand people. For this reason, Felicity and Eva never competed in the annual season’s games. They did their own running with their dad three times every week. It was their quality time with him, in addition to the late evening readings.

Here we are, said Jaida. Come quickly. Let us look at what we have. It was customary for all the headpieces, for girls less than sixteen years old, to be collected every year so each year they could create new ones. The headpieces were all kept in a chamber in the mountain, as had been the tradition for centuries. Only the family of the Gem Master was allowed in and out of the chamber (everyone thought this was so that the Gem Master could continue to produce gems for the growing population, but Eva said it was so the headpieces’ stones could be recycled). At the annual festival, the sub-council judged which headpieces would remain in the display room, and for the last two years, Eva had designed all three of the chosen headpieces.

Jaida lived in one of the most auspicious homes in the village. Each family was allocated their own land for building a home as well as part of a common area for cultivation. Jaida’s mother was known for her skills at gardening. Eva was always in awe when she walked through the garden, and the colors there