Jade Moon (Celestial War Book 1) (7 page)

She looked at me for a long time with an unreadable expression. “After we spoke about Olivia, he did say he was going right back to speak with you. I was surprised he wasn’t there when I stopped by. Why he left you alone there is beyond me.”

“I’m just worried something is…wrong.” I wasn’t sure what to say, exactly. Not wanting to sound like a total loon.

Something in her face shifted a bit, softer yet still unwelcoming. “You know, I knew your father. You look very much like him.”

I gasped. “You’re a Solaris?”

“Never say that out loud!” she hissed.

I stumbled back at the vehemence in her voice. Pressed against the cinderblock wall, I felt sick. 

She studied me closely, shaking her head. “You’re just like him, think the rules don’t apply to you. But he was a good man.” Something in her harsh voice finally broke. “He was such a good man.”

She looked almost…human. Holy crap, she had a crush on my dad! No words came to me.

“You’re right to be concerned.” She chose her words carefully. “I’m not sure what exactly is happening, but something is amiss. Mr. Silver is our knowledge keeper. He doesn’t just disappear.”

“What should we do?”

“I can’t leave now but here’s his home address. Perhaps you can track him down.” A few students began filing in for fifth period. She scrawled something on a piece of paper, shoved it at me and said, “Shouldn’t you be in your next class?”

I glanced at the address she gave me, “Thanks, Mrs. Louie.”

She ignored my thanks and began shuffling papers on her desk. Dismissed, I headed out into the hall wondering how I was going to get all the way out to the river. Though part of Waterford, Mr. Silver’s house was at least fifteen miles away.

Pondering how to get there, I literally ran into Raf who had obviously stopped in the hall to greet me.

“Oh!” I bounced off his shoulder and he grabbed me.

“Harper, what the hell. You okay?”

“Yeah. No. I’m freaking out a little.”

He gave a lopsided smile, “So, nothing new then?”

“Ha ha. Actually, I’m really worried about Mr. Silver.” I explained everything to Raf, leaving out all the sun moon craziness.

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound right. I’ve got my car. Want me to drive you out there now?”

“Don’t you have class?”

“Sure, just like you do. But who cares? Sounds like this is more important, right?”

I eyed him, remembering what my mom had said about not trusting anyone. But then I remembered our dinner together. Breaking and entering. That just didn’t add up to bad guy.

“I’d love that. I was just wondering how long it would take me to walk.”

Mr. Silver’s House

We snuck out of school and drove past downtown Waterford onto a winding road toward the Potomac river. The road was barely paved and so narrow that we had to pull over for oncoming cars. Then, after a few miles, there was no one else around. I had another flash of concern about Raf. Could I really trust him?

His floppy purple hair fluttered in the heat blasting from the dash board. I wasn’t sure, but he looked slightly Latin, long faced, dusky skin though more coppery than anything, dark roots showing where the purple was growing out. A faint scar I hadn’t noticed before ran down his right cheek and over his lips. His grey eyes scanned the road intently.

It made me doubt everything. If I couldn’t trust this person who seemed so sincere, then who wanted to be part of some crazy secret war. Though having Mr. Silver confirm it sure made it hard for me to dismiss my mom’s story. I chose to trust my gut and believe in him. Gut or some other part of my body at least.

We reached an unpaved road and Raf, consulting his phone, made a right onto the rutted nightmare. Towering pine trees closed in around us and the afternoon sun disappeared under the canopy. After almost ten minutes I was about to tell Raf to turn around, sure we’d gotten lost. Just as I opened my mouth, we broke into a clearing.  At the end of the rutted road stood a small blond-wood house rising from a brilliant garden somehow still blooming with flowers of every imaginable color. Though tiny, the house proportions were perfect, the high roof blending in with a cluster of mature oak trees spreading out in every direction without another house in sight. The garden was a barely controlled riot of wild flowers somehow blooming in the pre-snow air. A small gray stone path wound among the flowers to the house. An unfamiliar dark-skinned woman opened the door and waved for us to come inside.

“You know who that is?” I asked Raf. The woman in the doorway looked friendly enough from the car but I was feeling rather paranoid.

“No idea. Think we should wait here?”

As we contemplated, a massive goofball of a dog shoved his way past the woman and came loping toward the car. Some kind of reddish-golden monster, it’s tail wagged, tongue flapped. I swear the horse-sized creature had a smile on his face.

“Kaska!” the woman shouted. As she emerged from the doorway I realized she was in a wheelchair. Or something like a wheelchair. Higher than usual, it held her almost upright and she shot forward after the dog.

Raf and I looked at each other.

I shrugged. “What the hell.” In my mind, dogs are like radars for bad people. Someone with a dog that happy couldn’t be evil.

I stepped out of the car and the clearly over excited dog barreled into me almost taking me down.

“Kaska, no jumping!” Kaska completely ignored the woman wheeling toward us at incredible speed.

“It’s okay, I like dogs,” I shouted while wrestling the beast off me. I gave Kaska a vigorous ear scratch which calmed her down, content to press against my leg and pant like the worlds fuzziest steam engine.

“I am so sorry. She’s just got a mind of her own.” The woman approached and held out a hand. “I’m Mamboli Njie but you should call me Mambo. Can I help you?”

“My name is Harper Dae. Um, I’m not sure if you can help.” I wasn’t sure what to say. For all I knew this woman was the main warrior of the Lunates. “We were actually just looking for Mr. Silver.”

“Ms. Dae! Martin has spoken of you often! Please, come inside and we can have something to eat while we wait for Martin to get home. It shouldn’t be long.”

Rather than explain everything, I just followed her in. Mr. Silver’s house was built around a wide-open main room, skylights and windows everywhere. All neutral colors, the house exuded peace and comfort. Following Mambo, we pushed through the kitchen door into another sun filled room tiled entirely in pale yellow. The cheerful space smelled of garlic and cinnamon, glowing oven promising something delicious inside.

Moving smoothly on the whispering machine, Mambo pushed open french doors onto a huge deck. I briefly wondered how she was making it move before taking in the beautiful deck. The entire back half of the house cantilevered out from a bluff over the Potomac river. Vines of flowering honeysuckle tangled across the wooden lattice high over head. A string of fairy lights twinkled among the pale green vines. The view from the deck was upstream to the actual Waterford Falls. Through the narrow gorge, water roared over rocks in the distance.

A heat lamp glowed above us making the deck a little cocoon of warmth in the cool winter air.

“I’m glad to finally meet you, Harper. Martin has developed a real fondness for you. And you must be, Rafael. I know your mother.” Mambo’s smile seemed vaguely strained.

“Nice to meet you too. You live here with Mr. Silver?”

“Martin is my husband.” Mambo gestured to the table, “Please sit down. Can I get you a glass of wine or juice? Maybe just a cold water?

“Uh, I’ll have a wine,” I said, hoping to sound very grown up. Though kids drinking in Belize was no big deal, we certainly didn’t get offered glasses of wine.

“Water for me,” Raf said admiring the view.

“Oh,” I jumped up, “do you want me to get the drinks?” I tried not to look at her wheel chair thingy.

Mambo laughed. “No thanks Harper. I’m fine.” She paused and reconsidered, “Actually, help with drinks would be great. Come on inside.”

She turned and rolled away.

Inside, she slid the door shut and said, “What’s going on, Harper?” I could see the tension in her eyes.

I explained what had happened, deciding to listen to my gut yet again and trust this woman with the happy dog.

She processed what I’d said. “I’m sure it’s nothing, but I’m glad you came. Though I do wish you hadn’t brought the boy with you.”

“Raf?”

“Yes, I simply don’t know if he can be trusted.” Mambo casually glanced outside, giving Raf a subtle evil eye. “I do hope you’ll be cautious around that boy.”

With that she gathered the drinks and sped back out to the deck. I huffed after her, frustrated that she didn’t let me ask for more detail.

At the table, Mambo’s entire contraption lowered until she was sitting at level with us.

We sat in uncomfortable silence. I couldn’t understand why Mambo seemed so put out by Raf.

“Harper, how are you and your mom settling in?” she asked.

“We’re good, thanks.” My turn to be evasive.  Though she claimed to be Mr. Silver’s wife, I wasn’t sure if I could trust Mambo.

She seemed to sense my bland answer and silence fell again.

I felt compelled to fill the silence, “I’m really worried something has happened to Mr. Silver.”

Mambo glanced at her watch that looked like some sort of space age capsule. “It is unlike him to not call me if he’s going to be late. Let me try giving him a call. Most likely it is just something silly that came up.” Speaking into her watch she said, “Call Boo Bear.”

I pressed my lips together in an effort not to laugh out loud. Raf smiled again for the first time since we got there.

Looking off into the distance, Mambo was clearly listening to a phone ring, though I couldn’t see it anywhere. Leaning over slightly, I caught a glimpse of a small, black object in her ear. Fancy.

The ringing must have continued far too long because Mambo’s face slowly collapsed into concern, then to outright fear. “He’s not answering.” Her eyes darted around, as if monsters might be approaching from the gardens.

Kaska sensed the change in her master’s mood and moved to sit next to Mambo in high-alert mode, floppy ears forward, body rigid, nose in the air sniffing for potential threats.

Speaking back into her watch, “Call school.”

“Mrs. Filbert, this Mambo Nije. I’m wondering if Martin got caught up on campus for some reason. I ask because we have company and I was expecting him home by now.” Mambo paused, a flash of danger flashed across her face. Rather than the friendly woman in a wheel chair, she suddenly looked very much like a woman capable of great violence. “I see. Thank you.”

She turned to look at Raf. “She claims that Martin left in a hurry this afternoon, right after speaking with your mother.” Mambo rolled toward Raf. Even though not directed at me, the menace radiating off her made me involuntarily shrink back in my chair.

“What?” Raf stood and took a step backward.

“Why was your mom at school? What has your mom done with him?” Mambo continued to advance. Raf stumbled backward until he was against the railing overlooking the river. Kaska moved forward in tandem with Mambo, hackles up, deep growl rumbling in her chest. Raf leaned back over the rail as Mambo and Kaska pressed in on him. Water raged in the river below.

Raf threw up his hands in surrender. “I swear I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Ms…uh, Mambo. Raf didn’t do anything.” I said.

My voice seemed to get through and Mambo stared intently at Raf, as though seeing him for the first time. “You really have no idea what’s going on?”

“Really,” Raf nodded his head vigorously.

Something in his face convinced Mambo and her anger drained, though not entirely. “You and your mom aren’t very close I take it.”

“We were never all that close, but I came out to her a few months ago and, after basically disowning me and calling me a disgrace, she hasn’t said a word.” His voice wobbled.

Mambo rolled back slightly, giving Raf more room. Raf almost fell forward with relief.

“You’re gay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Raf’s chest heaved with emotion.

Mambo threw her head back and let out a cawing laugh so loud birds in the nearby trees took flight.

“You’re gay?” she asked again with obvious glee.

“Yeah,” Raf repeated.

I almost fell over onto the deck. Raf, gay? What? I barely heard the last part of their conversation, I was so overcome by my own tempest of emotion.

“Oh Raf,” Mambo said. “I didn’t know. But of course, that makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” Recovering, Raf’s emotion shifted from relief to anger.

“Your mom needs a female heir. Since you are her only child, she was counting on your to give her a granddaughter,” was all Mambo said as she spun and rolled inside. Looking back out at us she barked, “Come on in. Something has happened. We need to figure out our next step.”

***

“What’s going on?”

We huddled around an island in the kitchen. Raf looked to me for reassurance but Mambo answered.

“I don’t know everything. Martin and I have been married for many years, and he has told me pieces of what he knows, but we have very different perspectives.”

“Whatever, can you just tell us what you know? People have been acting totally insane around me lately and I’d love to know why,” Raf said.

Mambo looked at me then back at Raf, reading the situation. “Short version…There’s a war between two factions. Secret societies that have been warring from the beginning of time. They’ve both established strongholds here in Waterford which is why Martin is here. Well, that and because he has been waiting for you, Harper.”

“For me? You mean my mom.”

“No, I believe it’s you.”

Raf shook his head. “You expect me to believe there is a secret war being fought, and it centers on Waterford? The most boring town in the history of boring?”

“Sure, think about your school. Whose kids go there? We’re just outside of Washington DC. Your school is full of the children of the most powerful men and women in the world.”

Mambo was right. I ran through the list of congressmen, diplomats, supreme court justices, whose kids walked the halls of Langston High School.

Raf rolled his eyes. “Harper, this is clearly crazy. Come on, warring secret societies?”

“Uh, I think she might be right. Mr. Silver and my mom basically told me the exact same thing.” I pulled out Mr. Silver’s book and thumped it down on the kitchen counter.

Raf looked at me with hurt in his eyes. “What? You knew all this?”

“I…I just found out like two days ago. I’m still not sure what to believe. At least I didn’t hide the fact that I was gay.” I lashed out, my hurt feelings burbling up before I could stop them.

“What? Harper, I thought you must have known. Oh man, I am a moron. I’m so sorry.”

I saw him realize that I liked him. Was interested in him. I blushed and bit my lip, trying not to say anything more.

Mambo looked slightly amused for a moment before getting back to business.

“Things have been heating up recently. The Triton Peace Accord,” he looked at Raf, “the two sides have had an uneasy peace for a few hundred years now, but over the last twenty years the Lunates have been taking over museums, archaeology departments. It’s become clear they are looking for something, an ancient artifact of some kind.”

“A relic of power!” I said, remembering the book.

Mambo nodded. “You’ve read Martin’s book.”

“Not really, just skimmed a few sections. But what does that mean?”

“Uh, relics of power?” Raf asked.

“Right, some ancient artifacts have the ability to focus the forces of nature that flow around us. When wielded by the right person, they can become super human. Before the peace accord, battles were waged like gods. Imagine super heroes at war.” Mambo seemed rather thrilled by the thought. “But, over time, people have lost the ability to use the relics. Martin says that both sides suspect there are still incredibly powerful relics out there, and that there are some people who could wield them to great effect.”

“So,” Raf paused, “there is a cabal, I’m sorry, two cabals of evil doers collecting powerful ancient artifacts to turn themselves into super heroes.”

“Correct.”

Raf snorted derisively but Mambo kept talking, “Though evil doers isn’t entirely the right word. But the Lunates have kicked their search for relics into high gear. Martin thinks they might have found a very powerful one. Something powerful enough that they don’t have to abide by the Triton Peace Accord any more, assuming they have the right person to wield it.”

“What would something that powerful even do?” I asked.

“Honestly, Harper, I have no idea, only that it would be truly frightening. I’m just a foot solider. No one tells me anything.”