Blue Moon (Book One in The Blue Crystal Trilogy) (36 page)

“No,” she screamed, in a harsh,
rasping voice, looking at the wrinkled, mottled skin on her arms.
“What’s happening? I want to stay young.” She threw the crystal
onto the floor and backed towards the wall.

“Stop it happening,” she
croaked at me, “reverse the process.”

I stared at her aghast. “I
can’t. I’m sorry. I tried to warn you. The crystal’s just too
powerful.”

Her back was up against the
window and I could hardly bear to look at the grotesque creature
she’d become. She seemed to crumple and shrink before my eyes, her
skin drying out like old parchment, shrinking and splitting to
reveal the skeleton beneath. I turned away, unable to watch this
premature death and decomposition. It was horrible but at least the
demise of Kimberly Chartreuse was quick. Within seconds, she was
nothing more than a heap of bones, and then even the bones began to
disintegrate, turning into a pile of fine grey dust. What normally
took thousands of years had occurred in less than a minute.

I slumped back against the cold
stone wall of the Clock Tower, stunned and shocked, the thought
running through my head, “That could have been me”.

If I thought the ordeal was
over, however, I was wrong.

The crystal lay in the centre
of the room, blue and pulsing, the energy radiating outwards.

Although I didn’t hear
anything, I was aware of something above my head and slowly looked
up. There above me, nestled into the wooden struts that formed the
room’s arched roof was a malevolent black entity. It hung, like an
ominous black bat, two glistening eyes watching all that had
happened. I tried to scream, but the sound died in my throat and I
was aware of a terrible chill emanating from the creature. I pushed
myself closer into the wall, wondering if I could make it to the
door or whether I should try to put the crystal back in the
casket.

This, I knew, was one of the
Dark Ones that Theo had mentioned, dark matter that sought human
form, its only means of achieving its goal the crystal that lay
before me. What was it Theo had said? This was the threat the
Guardians took seriously, the dark force they thought they’d
destroyed that night in the fields. Clearly, they hadn’t been
successful, and a stray had somehow found its way to the crystal.
When I opened the door, I must have inadvertently let it in.

Instinctively, I put my hand to
my neck, expecting to find my crystal there. Then I remembered.
Kimberley had taken it. So where was it now? I looked over to the
pile of dust at the far side of the room, and there, twinkling and
shining amidst the remains of Kimberley Chartreuse, lay my crystal
with its silver chain.

With a gasp, I dived for it, my
fingers delving into the dust and clasping the crystal for all I
was worth. At the same time, the entity dropped and I had the
sensation of a black octopus landing over me, cold and clammy,
fastening on to me and sucking out any positive thought. Never had
I felt so negative, weak and utterly exposed. I tried to scream,
but the blackness filled my mouth, suffocating and smothering, and
as I fought to breathe, I realised the monster was sucking the
breath out of me, pulling out my life force with deadly speed and
precision.

Just as I felt I was slipping
into unconsciousness, a blood-chilling, deep-throated roar filled
the Clock Tower room, its reverberations echoing around me, and I
felt the hideous black entity being ripped from my body. I was
thrown to one side like a rag doll and lay, spent and exhausted,
watching as another black shape, all sinewy muscle and gleaming
fur, fell upon my attacker.

For what seemed like an age,
but was in reality no more than a few seconds, the two forces did
battle: one an amorphous black shadow, the other a magnificent
black panther, with gleaming white teeth and savage yellow eyes. I
cowered as I watched the panther sink its hooked claws into the
black matter, tearing it apart with power and fury. A horrible
screaming rent the air and within seconds the black entity was
dead, ripped to shreds that fell to the floor like pieces of
blackened, burnt rubber.

Instantly, they began to
disintegrate, evaporating into the air until nothing remained.

Silently, the huge black cat
watched, making sure no portion remained, then in front of my eyes,
its sleek black form began to change. The fur retracted, its shape
elongated upwards, and it began to take on human form. Suddenly, I
was looking at Pantera, haughty, ruthless and condescending as
ever.

“Pantera,” I gasped, “thank
you…”

“Thank you for what?” she spat
at me. “You think I did this for you? My job is to protect the
crystal. Not you. If you didn’t have your protective necklace in
your hand, I would have destroyed you as well. ” Her voice was full
of hatred and dislike. She indicated the pile of dust on the floor
that had once been Kimberley Chartreuse. “You and that harlot let
this damned creature in. You had no right coming to this room. It
is hallowed territory and you betrayed us.”

I gasped at her words. “No,
Pantera. I would never betray you….”

“Silence! You should have gone
the same way as her. Done us all a favour.”

“What kind of creature are
you?” I asked her. “Do you have no compassion or feeling?”

“I am older and more powerful
than you will ever be,” she hissed back at me.

Quickly, she picked up the
pulsing blue crystal and placed it back inside the casket, closing
the lid firmly. At once, the room became drab and monochrome, as if
we were in an old black and white movie, and I felt a chill descend
around me. She placed the casket into the alcove and moved the
lever into the upright position, so the panel slid back into place.
Then placing the loose brick into the wall, she turned to me and
said in a cold, matter of fact voice, “Your death would be a
blessing. You put the crystal at risk, which we cannot allow.
Whatever the family’s wishes, your days are numbered. I personally
will see to it.”

She turned to walk out of the
room and nearly collided with Theo, moving rapidly up the
stairs.

“Emily,” he shouted, running in
to the room and seeing the dusty heap that had once been Kimberley.
“What are you doing in here? Are you all right? Thank goodness
Pantera was here to protect you.”

He pulled me to him and for a
split second my eyes met Pantera’s over his shoulder. Her enmity
and hatred sliced into me, then she was gone, disappearing down the
spiral stairs. I clung to Theo, feeling his strong arms around me,
providing a haven of safety and security. He saw Kimberley’s small
black pistol, lying on the floor where she had thrown it, and held
me tighter.

“Emily, what happened here
today? I should never have left you.”

“I’m okay,” I said quietly.
“Now you’re here, Theo, everything’s alright.”

But his next words brought a
fresh chill to my heart and my newfound feeling of wellbeing was
short lived.

“I’m sorry, Emily, we have no
time,” he said gently. “The Lunari are downstairs and they want to
meet you.”

32.
The Lunari

Theo and I walked into the
library. The curtains had been drawn and the light was dim.

The family sat at one side of
the large polished mahogany table, and I noticed Leon was back. As
usual, Aquila and Pantera stood to one side, surly and aggressive.
I made sure not to make eye contact with either of them. I needed
my wits about me and would not let them intimidate me. Two empty
chairs were placed at the table, between Violet and Joseph, and
Theo and I sat in them. Opposite were three more empty places and I
looked at Theo questioningly, but he shook his head, telling me not
to speak.

We waited in silence for no
more than a minute, then the library doors were flung open and
three individuals, wearing long blue cloaks, entered the room. Each
had the smooth even features of the de Lucis family and long blond
hair. I guessed they were male, but their beauty was so intense,
they could have passed for either gender. In a split second, my
eyes took in the details: the dark glasses giving an air of
intrigue and mystery, the ivory skin and cruel mouths, the
exquisitely manicured hands, large jewelled rings and long
fingernails tapering to sinister points.

They were sleek and deadly,
like beautiful vipers.

As they moved into the room,
everything began to ripple and change around me, as if in a dream
sequence. The walls extended outwards and the wooden panelling
became rough, dark stone, while the ceiling rose upwards into an
inky blackness. Beneath my feet the floor became smooth and cold,
and torch lanterns, placed at regular intervals along the walls,
created sombre, dancing shadows, their flickering light revealing
strange markings carved into the stone. Yet again, I noticed a
circle crossed by an infinity symbol.

An eerie chill filled the air,
making me shiver, and I realised we were in a stone chamber of
cavernous proportions. The table at which we sat had also altered,
changing into a huge oval of smooth black granite, lit from above
by a large, wrought iron lantern, bearing hundreds of small burning
candles, and suspended from the cavern roof by a heavy black chain.
Our seats were immovable stone thrones, placed at regular intervals
around the table, each made comfortable by cushions in thick, blue
woven fabric.

The three creatures took their
seats at the head of the table and the one in the centre began to
speak, making my skin prickle and the hairs on the back of my neck
stand up.

“Good evening, every one. Good
evening, Emily. Please forgive our indulgence, we do so prefer to
be in familiar surroundings. As it was not possible for you to come
to us, so we have come to you, bringing our world with us.”

He spoke in soft, sibilant
tones, his voice smooth and caressing, but with the hypnotic power
of a snake about to strike. A hint of menace hung in the air and I
felt I’d entered a deep pool where hidden underwater currents
swirled ominously below the surface, threatening to pull me
under.

Once again, I looked at Theo,
questioningly, and again he shook his head.

“Emily, I must apologise,” the
creature continued, “I have the advantage. I know you, yet you know
nothing of me. Let me introduce myself. I am Badru, head of the
Lunari, and these are my elders, Atsu and Ata, the twins.”

The two men either side of him
raised their fingers off the table in greeting, but neither spoke
or altered their expression.

Badru held his arms aloft,
gesturing at the chamber around him.

“A little dimensional trickery,
Emily, nothing more. Our world exists alongside yours, as real and
tangible as your reality. We have simply created a bridge from one
to the other, for the purposes of our ‘discussion’. A word of
caution, though, do not leave the table. You run the risk of
becoming lost in our reality and there may be no way back.”

He smiled, but there was no
warmth in his face, just an icy composure.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Emily.
We are most impressed with what Viyesha has achieved. ”

He nodded his head slightly
towards Viyesha in acknowledgement.

“Hartswell Hall has become a
living entity, reborn and renewed. Its energy field is powerful and
its protective powers are strong. So far, so good, but then the
story changes… as you step into the picture.”

He paused and seemed to choose
his words carefully.

“It seems to me that you
compromise all we have established over the centuries, the
stability, the safety, the security of our world and our people. I
know of the events that have taken place today, Emily… Pantera has
regaled me how you led a would-be thief straight to our crystal and
allowed one of the Dark Ones to enter our most hallowed of
places…”

I opened my mouth, but he put
up his hand to silence me.

“You shall have your
opportunity to speak, Emily, but hear me out first. Perhaps you do
not realise the danger in which you inadvertently placed us… The
woman was nothing, an expendable frivolity, who would never have
survived the crystal’s power. It is doubtful she will even be
missed in her own superficial world. But the Feeder was different…
To allow a creature such as that to get so close to the crystal is
unforgiveable and a situation that must never be replicated. Thanks
to Pantera’s quick action, the threat was removed,” he bowed
briefly in her direction, “but we can rest assured that others will
follow. And eventually, the Reptilia themselves will come,
desperate for the crystal’s energy to give them human form. We
cannot allow anyone or anything to place us in that level of
danger.”

Badru still wore his dark
glasses, so I was unable to see his eyes, but his voice was icy and
I felt panic rising within me. This was real. This was
happening.

He continued. “How can I put
it, Emily? You are a chink in our armour. You bring with you
nothing but weakness and immaturity, impetuousness and naivety.
Plus, your human ties are too strong. Quite simply, you do not fit
the criteria for joining our order and I can see no reason to
extend an invitation to you, despite Viyesha’s intercession on your
behalf.”

Theo’s hand closed over mine on
the table.

“Very touching, Theo,” said
Badru, disparagingly. “You will of course defend her. But what of
your family? Where do your loyalties lie? You know we cannot allow
outsiders in, unless they become one of us. Must we destroy you as
well?”

The anger in his voice was
palpable and I began to feel afraid. I had no doubt these creatures
could kill me without thinking twice.

“I know the rules,” said Theo
tightly. “Emily does not present a threat.”

“On the contrary,” said Badru,
“I think she does. Today’s events prove that. She knows too much
and others can use her against us. Do I have to spell it out, Theo?
She threatens our very existence. And by association, you are
complicit.”