Jade Moon (Celestial War Book 1) (16 page)

The Oracle

“Listen!” I fell backward, tilting so slowly I could feel the air caressing my skin as I fell. Crashing to the floor, I felt nothing but ecstasy.

A woman appeared above me, dark hair, violet eyes, blood red robe.

“You’ve come,” we both said at the exact same time. She was not exactly welcoming, but sensual, warm.

My body convulsed, little paroxysm of sensation shaking me from head to toe, pleasure and fear.

“We’ve not much time.” She leaned so close I could feel her soft breath on my lips. “You need to reunite the Jade Moon. Corruption has spread to both sides. Neither should wield its power. You must right the wrongs done. Listen to your heart. Your words are the power.”

I gasped, suddenly choking on bile. Raf and mom stood protectively around me.

Listen

Seeing me conscious, they lifted me while Mr. Silver mounted the steps.

At the bottom I noticed all the red robed Lunates had retreated. My mind raced. Friendly Mrs. Wattana, pretty Mrs. Foster, and jolly Mr. Ransom were Lunates working with Selene. But Mrs. Louie was a Solaris, why were she and Mr. Silver together?

“Harper, give me the disk. We can stop all of this. Your father can come back to you.” Mr. Silver climbed the temple, hand outstretched, kind smile on his face.

I stood proud, facing him. “No.”

Silence. No one moved.

“Just give me the disk, Harper. It’s to keep the world safe. They’ve gone mad with power. As a neutral party, I can ensure its safe keeping.”

I turned on him, rage blazing. “This was all you. You’ve been manipulating me to find the disk. My father trusted you.”

I glanced to my sides.

On one side, my mom radiated fury. She was in full on demon-mom mode, her presence filling the space around her like an old Greek titan.

On the other side, Raf, face still wet with tears, stood strong, fists balled and ready to fight.

For half a second I wished I could crank on some kick-ass theme music, because the three of us looked fierce.

The pieces all fell in place as I spoke. “You’re the one who destroyed the library. You were looking for Selene’s tunnels.”

“I’m tired of being neutral, Harper.” His face twisted from the kind, lumpy man I knew to something dark, full of hatred. “I’m sick of the never ending feuds, the power struggles, the infantile egos. I knew I could end it all. With me in charge, making sure all happened as it was meant to. All I needed was a few key Solaris leaders and we could have finished this war once and for all. Your damned father is the one who stood in my way. He felt it was a corruption of his principles.” Mr. Silver snarled as he spat out the word principles. “Bastard rambling on about balance, harmony, loving those who would stand against us. I had to remove him and send you away.”

“You took my father! You’re the one who revealed our hiding place to Selene!”

“Yes, though to be fair, it was your dad that confided that secret with me before he understood my position. Poor Kane trusted me with his precious wife and daughter.” Mr. Silver’s entire being twisted into something I had never seen in him. “Walking the fine line between encouraging you to find the disk while keeping you focused on Selene has been an enjoyable challenge. Though, if I had known you would be this difficult to control, I would have just done away with you long ago.”

“I don’t think so, Martin.” A voice rang from the far end of the cavern. From the opposite tunnel, Mr. Silver’s wife, Mambo rode into the room astride Kaska who moved like a lion. Mambo wore a gold circlet atop a full afro, golden snakes wound around her biceps. Her face fierce. Principal Beuterbaugh followed close behind, his knock knees making his body rock side to side but, rather than seem wobbly, he moved like a cobra preparing to strike. He still wore his ugly brown suit, but held a long staff with a swirling sun at the top.

Mr. Silver spun around. “Mambo?” confusion flitting across his face. “My love?”

“Martin, I can’t let you do this.”

“But…” he faltered for a moment. “I’m helping the Solaris win the war. We can rule together.”

“I’m sorry ,Martin. But you’re wrong. Kane Dae was right. There must be balance. No one person or faction has the right to control it all.” Mambo sat tall, flames flickering from her golden eyes. “I love you but I won’t stand by and let you destroy all I believe in.”

Mr. Beuterbaugh stood beside her, grim faced, but rather intimidating in his gangly cobra stance.

Mr. Silver’s mouth distorted into a grimace of betrayal and hurt. I watched something inside him break and a black shadow swept across his face.

Selene, still bleeding, propped against the stone table tried to speak, “The Solaris, they have done such terrible things. They killed our children, Harper. My baby.”

I looked at Mr. Silver.

He stood up, haughty look of disdain toward Selene. “Only to prevent them from gaining too much power. Selene’s daughter was destined to take her mantle. I took the baby’s life to stop it…”

“A baby!” I shouted at him with pure horror. The realization that Mr. Silver had killed a child, no matter what reason he might have had, was the last straw. I looked to Raf and watched emotions play across his face. Confusion, sorrow, rage. He looked to his mother who nodded. She held a hand over her shoulder, blood leaking between her fingers.

“He killed your twin sister. She was to inherent my Anima when I pass on,” Selene managed to gasp out.

Mambo and Mr. Beuterbaugh must have sensed the shift in Raf as he prepared to attack because they rushed the platform, war cry on their lips.

Raf leapt at Mr. Silver, his own personal rage fueling his strength.

Mrs. Louie, who had been silent along the edge of the platform, moved in on me. My mom struck out with flat fingers. Clearly mom had some fancy martial arts training because Mrs. Louie took the hit to her neck and stumbled backward. Mom and Mrs. Louie faced off.

I dove for the Jade Moon. Two of the three disks were already in place. I grabbed it with both hands and slid the final disk into place.

Mom fell backward, avoiding the hit from the small fireball that spit from Mrs. Louie’s hands. Mrs. Louie moved in on her as Mr. Beuterbaugh and Mambo riding Kaska charged her from behind.

The final disk clicked around the luminescent center. The three disks ground against each other. Slowly they fell together and the entire relic flared like the full moon. 

The Jade Moon was complete.

I turned on Mr. Silver. “I trusted you!”

With a cry of frustration, he lashed out with a balled fist. As he punched toward my face, black smoke coiled outward from his thick golden ring. Enveloping his entire hand, the inky blackness connected with my cheek. My head snapped back. A cry of pain escaped my lips. I fell to the ground, smoke lingering against my cheek. Rot spread where it touched, a layer of flesh crumbling off.

“You have my father,” I shouted, using my fury to stand back up.

Kind, frumpy Mr.. Silver stood over me with malice gleaming from his entire body. Eyes black, smoke swirling from his ring, he transformed into something new. A being of darkness.

His attention focused on me. Mr. Silver didn’t see Raf moving in. Raf jumped on his back, gouging at his face. Mr. Silver slapped Raf aside with ease. As he fell, Mr. Silver smashed his fist into Raf’s side and I heard bones crunch. Raf let out a sharp oof and collapsed to the floor. 

Mrs. Louie loosed another fireball and I heard my mom’s wail of agony.

My knees buckled, rage faltering as I watched everyone I loved fall around me.

At the far end of the platform, Mrs. Louie desperately tried to defend herself against Mr. Beuterbaugh who spun, gangly limbs full of grace. Staff giving off a glow, like an aura that surrounded him and Mambo. Kaska reared up and sunk her teeth into Mrs. Louie’s forearm. Mom lashed out at Mrs. Louise’s feet, knocking her to the ground. Locked in battle, Mambo began to sing. Her voice rang clear across the small chamber, filling it with a golden light.

Her song renewed me. Something broke free. Love, the desire to protect. My every emotion was loosed upon the world.

The Jade Moon Awakens

I screamed in pain and fury. Clambering to my feet, I held aloft the Jade Moon.

Mr. Silver paused, cringing as though my shout could hurt him. When nothing happened, he quickly recovered and smiled, a grin of pure evil.

“Guess the Jade Moon won’t work for you. Maybe you aren’t the Oracle after all.”

Circling Raf’s prone form, Mr. Silver stalked toward me like a victorious predator. He balled his right hand into a fist, black smoke leaking out his mouth and around his eyes. Waving his ring back and forth, he taunted, “The Lunate death ring, entrusted to my safe keeping by some naive Lunates. It has stored within it a death blow.”

 He laughed, a terrible sound. Seeing that I had nothing but a useless, glowing disk, Mr. Silver made his move.

Rushing me, fist cocked, I stumbled backward.

With a feral cry, Selene flung herself in the way. His blow landed on her, she fell back into my arms, warm blood running over the Jade Moon.

Smoke from the ring wrapped around Selene’s body, swallowing her in writhing darkness. She took a long breath in, and, with barely audible voice said, “Tell Raf I’m sorry. He was brave.”

Selene slumped against me. The last flicker of life sparked and then was gone.

At the exact same moment, the Jade Moon burst into cold white flame, Selene’s blood the fuel burning bright. Climbing up my arms, the blinding fire filled my blood. My heart swelled, body screaming with the intensity of sensation. Looking down, I half expected my joints to be separating. Instead of tearing to pieces, my body glowed with silver splendor. The flaming Jade Moon thrummed in my hand like it was alive.

The sound of water roared toward us and I watched the moat around the base of the temple fill with shimmering water. Encircling us, it shone like a river of stars, the moon in my hands glowing even brighter. Together, the River of Stars and the Jade Moon appeared like the night sky come alive on the earth.

The moon was called down into my hands.

From Selene’s body, a swirling collection of lights rose like will-o-the-wisp. It swooped to the ceiling like an animate creature, the collection of moon Anima seeking its new home. No one else seemed to see it as it swirled around Raf still prone on the ground. It danced across his skin before moving inside of him as he breathed in.

Raf’s eyed rolled back in his head.

“Raf!” I shouted. I felt the word leave my mouth like a solid thing. It rippled into the room like a rock being thrown into a pond. Temple stones shattered in its wake. The logs in the bonfires splintered like kindling.

As the radiating sound wave hit Mr. Silver, he stumbled back, eyes wide with terror.

I rushed over to Raf and helped him up. He shook his head in confusion.

“What the hell?” he asked.

“I think you just absorbed your mom’s Anima.”

“What?”

“No time!” I gestured to Mr. Silver still approaching.

Standing tall, grasping hands together for support, we turned to face him.

My black hair blazed with white fire. My eyes became swirling disks of mercury. Lips deep red with fresh blood. 

Next to me, Raf’s face shone with something beatific, peaceful. A barely visible mist roiled behind him, faint outlines of wolves crouched protectively around him, growling a deep, basso sound that rolled through the cavern.

Mr. Silver shrunk back, eye’s darting back and forth between us. 

Soft as a gentle breeze, I whispered, “You’re done.”

The words radiated from my mouth and hit Mr. Silver square in the chest. It hit with such force, I heard the air forced from his lungs. His ribcage snapped as he was tossed into the air. He flew so far and so fast that he slammed into the cavern wall then fell to the floor in a heap. He did not get up.

Raf ran back to his mom’s body.

Mambo astride Kaska, Mr. Beuterbaugh, and my mom stood over the unconscious form of Mrs. Louie. Blood ran from their wounds and mom’s arm was singed, but they wore triumph on their faces.

Poor Olivia sat up on the platform, woozy, and asked in a thick voice, “What in the hell is going on?”

***

I rushed over to my mom. She leaned away from me as I approached and I realized I was still glowing. Gently putting down the Jade Moon, the light went out and we wrapped our arms around each other. Overcome with relief, mom cried on my shoulder. I’m pretty sure I wept like a little baby as well.

“Mom, it’s over. We did it.”

“Thank the gods, Harper. I can’t lose you.” She held me at arms length and looked me up and down, making sure I was in one piece. After reassuring herself that I was okay, she beamed her magnetic smile, “You sure kicked some ass there my little Wren.”

A laugh bubbled from my lips.

“And you.” She walked to Raf and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about your mother. I’m sorry I didn’t trust Harper’s instincts about you. I was wrong.”

Raf looked up at her, eyes still shining unnaturally. “No, I understand,” was all Raf said, but it was enough.

Mr. Beuterbaugh moved to help Olivia up.

“Mr. Beuterbaugh?” she asked, clearly still totally confused that the school principal was there. “Am I in trouble?”

He laughed a deep slow laugh and, with waddling steps, guided her through the doorway toward the exit. “No, Olivia, you’re not in trouble. In fact I think it’s time we talked.” They faded into the darkness together.

Mambo sidled up to me on Kaska’s back. “Hey, Harper.” Though her eyes no longer glowed, they were still turning like molten gold. Heat radiated off her like she had just popped out of the oven.

“Mambo,” I bowed formally because it seemed like the right thing to do. She nodded with approval.    

“We’ll need to talk once things settle down. Until then, I think he will need your help.” She rose her chin toward Raf, still cradling his mother.

I swallowed. “Yeah,” I said. “What happened here? I thought Mrs. Louie was a Solaris like you?”

Mambo looked sadly at Mrs. Louie still unconscious on the floor. “There’s been a fracture among my people for a long time now. A group of Gnomon and Solaris leaders formed a secret alliance. Their plan was to wipe out the Lunates altogether.”

“I thought the Gnomon were neutral.”

“They’re supposed to be. It is the order of things. But some, like Martin, decided to choose a side and tip the balance in their favor.”

She looked at her husband with such sorrow I swallowed my angry comment.

Mambo continued, “Perhaps they wanted power for themselves. Or perhaps they just grew tired of our fighting, but they reached out to the Solaris and formed a pact.”

“And my dad?”

“Kane Dae stood against the Solaris leaders when they agreed to work with the Gnomon. He said it was wrong. That it would disrupt the basic balance of the world’s Anima.”

“So my dad was taken by his own people? Is he….alive?”

“He was taken by the Solaris leadership, and yes, I believe he’s alive.” I thought about that for a long while.

“But Selene was trying to gain her own power?”

“She was right to say that the Solaris have wronged her. The allied Gnomon and Solaris have been quietly killing Lunate children for almost a hundred years now. Raf’s own twin sister was one of the children they murdered. It’s the main reason your father refused to help them.” Mambo looked sadly at Selene’s lifeless body. “I think she was driven mad by grief when her daughter was killed. Could think only of revenge. Her methods were abhorrent, but her goals honorable.”

I digested that, looking over at Raf whose own psyche was so damaged by Selene’s evil.  Can the means ever justify the ends? If she had succeeded and destroyed the Solaris Pact, my mom would have been let go and maybe my dad would have been set free? Would I have traded Raf’s well-being and Olivia’s life for my father’s freedom? The answer was no. I wouldn’t. Which is who I am. The answer to everyone’s question.

“What should we do with them?” I pointed to Mrs. Louie and Mr. Silver, both still unconscious on the muddy floor.

“I’ll send some people to bring them in. Make no mistake, Harper, war is coming, and you will have a role to play. Your friend Rafael as well.”

“What do I do with this?” I held up the Jade Moon.

“That belongs to you now.” With a bow toward me, Kaska and Mambo wheeled and rode off after Olivia and Mr. Beuterbaugh.

Raf limped over to us. “We should get out of here. I suspect my mom’s people want to bury her. Plus we have a lot to talk about I think.”

He looked different, stronger.

With arms thrown around each other for support, the three of us emerged into the blinding sunlight.

As we climbed into Raf’s Lotus he asked, “What now?”

I looked into his grey eyes and said, “Hell, we’re rich, I’ve got some kind of fancy superpowers, there’s a war brewing, and I’m going to find my dad.”

He gave me a lopsided smile and together the three of us drove off into the unknown.

THE END