Jade Moon (Celestial War Book 1) (6 page)

“What happened?”

“Rather than come after us, they killed Lois and Frank,” her voice fell flat, dulled with emotion but tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes.

“What?” I sat up, horrified.

“They threatened your father and me, but were afraid to move against us openly. It would have brought down the full force of the Solaris upon them. We counted on that to keep us safe…and they didn’t attack us directly. Instead, they killed Lois and Frank. Tortured them, sent me their…” Mom broke into a full sob.

I crawled into the narrow chair next to her and wrapped my arms around her.

She let out a few shuddering breaths. “They sent me their hearts, Harper. That was when your dad knew we had to hide somewhere they couldn’t find us. He knew Orlando Ek. Mr. Ek agreed to shelter us in his home village. And so we fled to Belize.”

“Why didn’t dad come with us?”

“He’s a Sun Warrior. His duty was to fight the Lunates. He also said it would be easier for them to find us if he was there. I realize now, of course, that we made a mistake.”

“Mistake? Is that why we came back?”

Mom nodded. “We were safe in Belize for so long, I thought we had really gotten cleanly away.” Mom looked wistful. “But then, a few months ago, men showed up in San Ignacio asking about us. Throwing around money. Mr. Ek got word that they were on their way to San Pedro so we had to run. I didn’t want to risk everyone there and I was afraid what they would do if they found us. So we fled to the only place I thought there would be enough Solaris to keep you safe.

“But, that’s the problem with secret societies, you never know who is who. This used to be a Solaris strong hold, and there are still some people here that remember me. Martin Silver. Boon Wattana.” Mom’s face pinched with stress. “They are reluctant to help, though I don’t fully understand why. Which means I’m in the dark, not sure if we are truly safe here. I mean, Martin offered to watch over you at school, assured me that, since it was so public, you would be safe there. He also told me there are many Lunates here now. So, perhaps we’ve come to the belly of the beast. But I have no idea where else to go.”

“So it’s the Lunates you’re afraid are after us now. After you for some reason?”

“That’s right.”

“And dad was some kind of Sun Warrior?

“Yes, he is.” She beamed with pride, clearly still loved him.

For a second I let myself imagine it were true. “That is really freaking cool.”

That got a genuine smile from her.

“Well, now you know everything I do. I swear I have an actual birthday present for you but that will have to wait a few days until your birthday.”

“Mom, thank you for telling me all this. I don’t want anything more.”

She looked so relieved that a small bit of guilt lifted off my shoulders.

“Hey, you’re supposed to stay home tomorrow for your suspension, right?” Mom said with a gleam in her eye.

“Yeah.”

“How about we go get a few pints of ice-cream, a block of yummy cheese, a baguette, and some dark chocolate. I’ll rent some movies and we can see if the old DVD player here even works. Make a day of it?”

“I would love that, mom,” I said. And I meant it.

Olivia

Mom and I had an amazing day together. We lounged in pajamas and ate and laughed. It was almost like being home in Belize.

“Tomorrow I’m getting you a cell phone,” mom said absent mindedly. I tried not to whoop with joy.

As the sun set I stupidly joked, “Man, mom, I’m thinking about getting in trouble again. We could do this once a week or something.”

I regretted it as soon as it left my lips. “Please Harper. I don’t think I can handle more stress.”

“It was a joke, Mom. A joke.” But it killed the cozy mood. She got up and puttered around, straightening things that weren’t really messy. We went to bed slightly uneasy, too much emotion between us.

As I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, I remembered that Mr. Silver’s mysterious book was still hidden in my bag. After all the stuff mom said, I was excited to read it.

I slid it out of my backpack and ran fingers over the worn leather binding. The old fashioned sun and moon symbol embossed on the cover made more sense to me now. I flipped open the first page. It had the look of an old illuminated manuscript, hand written calligraphy, bright ruby red and sapphire blue drawings accented with shining gold leaf.

It looked cool but the first few pages were a dry, historical look at the world’s religions.

 At the heart of all world religions you will find the worship of the Sun and Moon. Though manifest quite differently, depending on where in the world you are exploring, the worship of these two sources of power are universal. In Abrahamic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, it is manifest as the struggle between good and evil. The moon is emblematic of darkness, chaos, and death. The sun is linked to God, harmony, and life. According to these religions, the two sides are at war, vying for power over mankind.

In many non-Western religious traditions, the Sun and Moon are not seen as dichotomous, battling against each other. For example, in Hinduism, the Sun and Moon are representative of the endlessness cycles of nature reflecting the actions of gods and goddesses. Many ancient religions viewed the Sun and Moon as partners or even lovers, sharing responsibility for the turning of the cosmos. The Druids, the Egyptians, the Maya, everywhere you look you will find temples dedicated to these celestial forces.

These different understandings of the Sun and Moon reflect the complex reality….

My eyes started to glaze over and I must have drifted off because next thing I knew my alarm was going off.

Bzzt bzzt

I moaned and threw my pillow at the alarm. It stubbornly survived.

The walk to school was freezing and I was thankful to get into the building. Which should tell you how cold it was, because there was literally no where else in the world I wanted to be less.

I got a few sympathetic glances, a lot of being ignored, and a few real gems like, “Hey stairs-girl, did you find the scary ghost in the library?” and, “Oh no, poor stairs-girl got suspended.”

How nice of them to helpfully reminded me how unwelcome I was.

Mrs. Foster’s class about the Dadaist movement was mind numbing. How one could make Dadaism boring was beyond me. It was certainly a skill.

I stopped in the bathroom on my way to the library for lunch. Though I’d been forbidden from entering the library, there was no way I could stay away from Mr. Silver after the talk with my mom.

As I washed my hands, I heard a soft, muffled sobbing. Not just boo-hoo type crying, but genuine, can’t catch a breath sobs. I stiffened, afraid I was hearing the same thing I’d heard in the library but quickly realized it sounded very different.

In the library, the person sounded like they were being tortured, physically harmed. This was more like emotional pain. Normal human crying. It drifted from the last stall in the long bathroom where there was a faint rustling of clothes. Thankfully I could sense the presence of an actual person.

Taking a tentative step toward them, I meant to quietly approach and ask in a soft, comforting voice if they were okay. Instead, squeak!, my thick soled boot announced my approach. The crying paused, but the person obviously didn’t care, or couldn’t stop.

“Hey, you okay in there?” I asked gently.

That got a renewed sob, a coughing, snotty sound.

“Do you need some help?”

“No, go away,” a disembodied voice answered. She did not sound convincing, the kind of answer that meant a person really did need help but didn’t want to ask.

“Listen, I’m happy to help. Or I’m happy to go get someone for you.”

“No! I don’t want anyone here.”

“Well, I’m not leaving until I see that you’re alright. Plus, if you talk to me, maybe I can help.” I rapped my knuckles on the door. Peaking under I saw fuzzy suede boots. The kind that were inexplicably expensive despite looking like they were designed to be worn in the North Pole.

She let out a few more wracked breaths, exhaling sobs.

“Look, just let me see you. I just want to make sure you’re okay and I will leave.” I pushed kind of hard.

“Just leave me….” the door swung inward, “alone!”

“Olivia?” I was shocked. Streaks of brown mascara ran down her cheeks. Normally perfect hair was mussed. Heavy makeup smudged revealing a dark bruise around her right eye.

“You,” she practically spat the word at me. “You stupid bitch. I said leave me alone.”

I threw up my hands and backed away. “Whatever, Olivia. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright. Which clearly you aren’t. But far be it from me to go out of my way to help you.”

I spun and left the bathroom with a wild mix of feelings. Clearly she was in terrible distress, but why should I care about someone who had gone so far out of their way to be cruel to me. I was just going to let it go.

But by the time I got to the library, I was worried. No matter how mean Olivia was, she was still a person in pain. “Good day, Miss Dae,” Mr. Silver bowed his head formally. “Glad to see you’ve returned. Let’s go sit in the back so you don’t get caught here.”

“Thanks Mr. Silver. Uh, I have a lot of questions.”

“Ah, you read my book?”

“That and had a long talk with my mom.” Mr. Silver steepled his hands, something I’d never see anyone else do except as a joke. But he was perfectly serious. “Very good.”

“But first, that girl, Olivia. She’s in the bathroom crying up a storm. I think someone hit her.”

“Oh dear.” Mr. Silver stood up. “Let me go find Mrs. Louie. She can go in and check on her.”

“Mrs. Louie?” I couldn’t believe he would trust her with anything.

He patted me on the shoulder, “Things are not always what they seem, Harper. Surely you have figured that out. Go on back and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

***

Glancing down at my brand new cell phone, I wandered back toward my old library spot with the orange disco chair thinking about what Mr. Silver said. I tried to imagine Mrs. Louie as anything other than an overzealous jerk. Rather than just being mean, I guess it’s possible she really believed I was skulking around the library up to no good. And it wasn’t crazy to think I was the one who tore things up after seeing me there at school on the security video that night. Maybe she was just a rules-nazi, someone who believes in following orders and hierarchies of power more than anything else. A perfect foot soldier of the Solaris if I had to guess.

As I passed, I glanced down the dark hall where I’d heard the crying. A bright new bulb lit the entire dead end and I could see evidence of recent construction; drywall dust and a strip of plastic sheeting. I thought about going back for a closer look but, to be honest, I was afraid. My entire body tingled with fear, that sense you get when walking down a dark hall and suddenly feel like there is something behind you. You know it’s irrational but you still run to your lighted room and slam the door behind you.

I retreated to the security of disco chair and waited for Mr. Silver. No tortured child called out to me, though I sat on high alert, ears straining. As I glanced around, my eyes were caught by a small symbol etched along the back wall. A crescent moon so small I might have mistaken it for a chip out of the brick if it hadn’t looked identical to the moon embossed on Mr. Silver’s book.

Moving close, my finger danced over the tiny mark.

I was leaning in for a better look when Mrs. Louie boomed behind me, “Harper Dae, thank you for informing us about Olivia.”

I let out a squeak of surprise and did the exact same spin around, hands up in defensive position that I did last time.

She squinted at me suspiciously, lips pressed so hard together they were white. “I thought Martin would be back here by now. He said you were here with his permission.” She looked around for Mr. Silver and didn’t seem particularly pleased that I was alone. “You best be on good behavior or I will see you suspended again.” Then she spun on her low heels and stalked away leaving me in a ridiculous crouch, heart banging in my chest.

I sat down and, after making sure I was alone, pulled out Mr. Silver’s book to read while I waited. Flipping forward a few pages, I read on, starting in the middle of the section.

This is why balance must be maintained. It is the duty of the Gnomon, the keepers of knowledge, to ensure that neither the Solaris nor the Lunates gain inordinate power. Though the Gnomon are neutral, they will often work closely with this Solaris and Lunates that support the goal of harmony. Throughout history, small groups of Solaris or Lunates have broken away from the larger group and attempted to seize power for themselves.

For example, ancient Roman Emperor Aurelian created his own cult called Sol Invictus, or Unconquered Sun. This cult almost plunged all of Europe into a generation of drought and ruin. Likewise, Madonna Oriente, a Lunate in twelfth century Milan, made a power grab for her faction. Though she had good intentions, her machinations could have had dire consequences. Fortunately the Gnomon stopped her before any damage was done.

These kinds of imbalance have happened time and time again. However, we are currently enjoying one of the longest quiescent periods in human history. After the Triton Peace Accord, there has been no over hostility between the two groups. Alliances have even formed between certain segments of the two sides as they appreciate the necessity of working together.

That said, the historical tension between the Solaris and Lunates has not been entirely eased and there remain those on each side dedicated to gaining ascendance.

Got it, balance matters. I flipped forward to a section titled, “Relics of Power.” Sounded promising.

Each of the two faction has a series of relics associated with their seats of power. The power inherent in the universe, light and dark Anima, is focused through these ancient artifacts that convey power upon the proper user. Sadly, most of these relics have been lost to the ravages of time.

It is important to note that, technically, the objects themselves are not magical.

I looked up from the book. Magical? Oh boy.

Anima, the two forces that are inherent in the universe, flow in what are often called ley lines. Most ancient holy places dedicated to the Solaris and Lunate gods were located in places that have internet power associated with them. Copan, the pyramids of Cheops, Tenochtitlan, Stonehenge, all great ancient cities and temples are located at powerful convergences on natural Anima.

Because it is so concentrated, certain objects regularly used in rituals within these locations often become imbued with this power. Though clearly not true for all ancient objects, those that were used to tap into the Anima, still have the ability to focus this power. A magical residue of sorts.

While these important relics can convey supernatural abilities, they are rarely used in the modern world. The objects themselves have often been drained of their potential. Likewise, the Solaris and Lunate followers appear to have lost the ability to properly utilize these focus objects.

Many argue that this reduced ability to utilize the magical properties of these relics is the true reason the recent peace had lasted so long. Without the ability to access the extreme power stored within these relics, neither side can ever hope to gain genuine supremacy over the other, forcing them to accept the terms of the Triton Peace Accord.

Whoa, that sounded very cool. Plus it made me wonder about the Lunates that dragged Mom into their little antiquity theft ring. Were they searching for new relics of power?

I read on, lost in thought until the bell rang over my head, making me jump. I had been reading for a long time in my cozy disco chair. Where was Mr. Silver? A terrible sensation crawled up my back like an electrified slug oozing against my spine.

“Mr. Silver?” I called out, maybe he got caught up at the front desk with another student.

“Mr. Silver?” tucking the book away in my bag, I headed out. No sign of him at the front. The second bell rang and the halls echoed with the sound of closing doors as everyone settled into their next class.

I walked the empty halls. I checked in the bathroom where Olivia had been crying. The main office. The library again. I even knocked on the men’s room right outside the library and, when no one answered, I peaked inside. No one.

“Monkey nuts,” I whispered to myself, unsure what to do. Finally, just before the next bell rang, I went into the main office where the head administrative assistant sat.

“Um, I was supposed to meet Mr. Silver in the library but he’s not there. Do you know if he had to leave for some reason.”

She tilted her head with genuine concern, “I’m sorry sweetie, he didn’t say anything.” She gave me a saccharine smile, “Between you and me, that man is a flake. It’s possible he forgot.”

I thanked her, quite certain I didn’t slip his mind. Without any other options, I realized there was only one other person he had indicated any trust in. Mrs. Louie. Ugh.

I went to her classroom and waited for the bell to ring. After the students filed out, I stepped in and swallowed my pride.

“Mrs. Louie, uh, Mr. Silver never came back and he seemed anxious to talk to me. I’m a little worried.”