Blue Moon (Book One in The Blue Crystal Trilogy) (37 page)

“No, Badru, I cannot accept
that,” interjected Viyesha.

“Silence, Viyesha,” he
commanded. “You should have let the Guardians deal with this.
Instead of which, you allow an outsider to see the very thing that
is our life force and place us in great danger. You have been lax
and the time has come for action.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” I
said, pulling my hand away from Theo and glaring at Badru. I’d
heard enough, the time had come for me to speak and defend
myself.

He regarded me curiously. “Very
well, speak if you must. This is a fair trial, I suppose.”

“I would never compromise the
crystal’s safety, Badru. Kimberley Chartreuse had a gun and gave me
no choice, but I knew she wouldn’t survive. It seemed a watertight
plan.”

“Commendable, my dear,” he said
sarcastically.

“And to prove my loyalty, if
you will extend the invitation, I am ready to join you…”

“No,” said Theo faintly, “it’s
too risky. I can’t lose you again.”

“Ah, of course, Theo, you
believe Emily to be your long lost love,” said Badru, with a
chilling smile. “How sweet. The woman you’ve waited for through the
centuries has come to you once again. But what proof do you have of
this, Theo? A face on a necklace? Circumstantial. You have nothing
concrete to place before me.”

“Badru, you have to give her
the benefit of the doubt,” interrupted Viyesha. “At least give us
some time. It could be her. We have to find out.”

“Wait,” I said, “I don’t know
if I’ve been reincarnated or not. I have no memories of a past
life. But I do know that Theo and I have an amazing connection.
There is a bond between us I can’t explain. We belong
together.”

“Yes, yes, love’s young dream,
very romantic,” said Badru in a bored voice. ‘If that’s your
defence, I’d give up now. It is really neither here nor there
whether you are Theo’s lost love. All I want to know is whether you
have anything to offer us. And at the moment I see nothing. In
fact, I see less than nothing. I see threat and danger.”

“There is something,” I said.
“Viyesha told me I wouldn’t survive holding the crystal. It was too
powerful. But look at me, Badru. I’m still here. I should have aged
and died like Kimberley, but I didn’t. I held the crystal and
survived. Does that not tell you something?”

He leant forward and regarded
me closely.

“It is true the crystal is
still powerful and should have had an effect on you, and yet you
appear to be untouched. That is unusual.”

He paused for a moment, as if
thinking. “Violet, what aura do you see around Emily?”

“Blue,” she answered, surprised
to be consulted, “Emily’s aura has always been bright blue, the
same as ours.”

Badru continued to stare at
me.

“I must admit, that is
unprecedented. Maybe you do have something, Emily.”

He stroked his chin
thoughtfully.

“Very well, here’s my
proposition. I find you interesting, Emily, and that has bought you
some time. You have until the next full moon. Theo, it would seem
the love of your life is not quite as fragile as you think. She has
a strength that could be of use to us. If she withstands the
initiation, she may join us. Of course, if the crystal destroys
her, then our problem is solved. Viyesha, you know what needs to be
done?”

“Yes, Badru,” she bowed her
head.

“For now, I will call my dogs
off.” He leaned back and smiled at me. “The Twin Assassins, that’s
how Atsu and Ata are known in the order. Although I warn you,
Emily, any step out of line, and I will not be so generous second
time around.”

“Thank you, Badru.” I stared
back at him, disliking him intensely, yet all too aware of the
power he held.

“Now, one other small matter,”
said Badru. “How did this woman come to know of our crystal and its
youth-bestowing properties? It is a closely guarded secret and I do
not know of any lapses in our security. ”

Leon, who up to this point had
remained silent, now spoke.

“We believe we know the source,
Badru. Two weeks ago, Joseph disturbed someone in the grounds
taking pictures with a telephoto lens. He saw the same individual
speaking to Kimberley Chartreuse in the gardens late last night.
Turns out he is a private detective known as Mr Nelson, a grubby,
two-faced opportunist, who would sell his own grandmother if the
price were right. I paid him a visit this morning. He passed on
photographs and information to Kimberley Chartreuse, a woman
paranoid about ageing, in exchange for money.”

“I see,” said Badru,
thoughtfully. “And where is this Mr Nelson now?”

“Disappeared,” admitted Leon.
“For all his dishevelled appearance, he is clever, with the
survival instincts of a cockroach. He simply blended into the
background and vanished. But Aquila will find him and silence
him.”

“Very well,” said Badru.
“Aquila, your priority is to find this scum before he does further
damage. Destroy him.”

“Consider it done,” said
Aquila, in his rasping voice.

Badru looked around the table
and smiled pleasantly, as if he’d just chaired the parish council
AGM.

“I believe that concludes our
business,” he said briskly. He turned to me, “Remember, Emily, if
you haven’t become one of us by the next full moon, you know the
consequences. And I won’t delegate the task to my twins. I will
come for you myself.”

He smiled sweetly and, to make
his point, removed his dark glasses. I had assumed he would have
clear blue eyes, but I was mistaken. I stifled a scream. Instead of
beautiful eyes, Badru had red rimmed, empty eye sockets. It was
like looking into the face of an angelic demon and an involuntary
shudder ran through my body. He spoke in a whisper, “You may think
I see nothing, Emily, but I see everything. The mind’s eye is so
much more powerful.” He replaced his dark glasses and rose from the
table, then as afterthought, turned and said, “Your friends, Seth
and Tash...”

The blood drained from my face.
“Yes?” I asked, fearing the worst.

“They were at the hall earlier
this afternoon. I’ve let them go for now. But I shall be watching.
If I find out they know anything….” He drew his finger across his
throat in a slicing movement.

“Do you understand?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

Badru clicked his fingers and
his henchmen rose too. Then, before my eyes, all three disappeared.
I stared in disbelief. One minute, they were there, the next they
were gone, and simultaneously, the dark emptiness of the torch-lit
cavern vanished and I was looking once more at the familiar wood
panelling of the library.

33.
Family

As before, the de Lucis family
sat around the table and the three seats opposite me were empty.
The only difference was that Aquila and Pantera were gone.

I turned to Theo, sitting
beside me. “Did that happen or did I have a really weird
dream?”

He said nothing, but smiled
sadly and squeezed my hand. He looked shell-shocked.

Leon spoke. “It happened,
Emily. And bravo for defending yourself. There aren’t many who
could remain so composed under such circumstances.”

“Honestly, talk about mind
games,” said Joseph, in disgust. “Why do they do that?”

“You have to admit, it is kind
of cool,” answered Violet.

“There was nothing cool about
that,” said Theo, angrily.

“Okay, everyone, quiet,” said
Viyesha, holding up her hands. “Emily, I’m sorry you had to go
through that, but you should never have taken that woman into the
Clock Tower or handled the crystal yourself. It was a dangerous
strategy and, but for Pantera’s quick action, could have had
disastrous consequences.”

“It’s our fault, mother,” said
Theo bitterly. “It would never have happened if we hadn’t left
Emily on her own. The blame lies with us for leaving her exposed
and vulnerable.”

“True, Theo,” answered Viyesha,
“but in a strange way, it saved Emily. I have seen Badru destroy
people for less, but he’s intrigued to know why the crystal had no
effect.”

She turned to me. “You had a
close call, Emily, but you’ve come through it. Now you’ve seen The
Lunari and know their capabilities. They have conquered death and
time, and live according to their own rules. Never underestimate
their power.”

“Where are they now?” I
asked.

“Aquila is taking them to the
airport,” answered Violet.

“If they’ve conquered time,
can’t they just teleport?” I suggested.

“Excellent idea, Emily,”
laughed Joseph.

“Transference of matter is
beyond even their capabilities,” said Viyesha, calmly. “What you
just experienced, Emily, was a trick of the mind, a powerful form
of hypnosis that they have mastered.”

“But no less real for existing
only in the mind,” added Leon. “In fact, all the more dangerous,
because imagination is limitless, and in The Lunari’s reality you
create your own nightmares.”

I shivered and felt for Theo’s
hand. He closed it around mine and I felt his energy flow into my
body.

“Well, look on the bright side,
at least I’ve bought myself some time,” I said in a cheerful voice
that masked my fear.

“Time is all you have, Emily,”
said Joseph, solemnly. “Your other options have run out. You have
no choice but to join our family now.”

“Assuming she survives the
crystal,” Violet reminded him.

I looked around the table and
realised how fond I’d become of Theo’s family.

“Oh, I’ll survive it alright,
Violet,” I said purposefully. “I survived it earlier on tonight
when the crystal was much more powerful. All I have to do is wait
for the next full moon. You just watch me.”

Theo looked at me angrily, his
face white and strained, but he was powerless to argue.

I stared back at him, looking
eternity in the face and wondering if I had just made the biggest
mistake of my life.

THE END

Blue
Moon

If you
enjoyed reading Blue Moon, please leave a review at your favourite
retailer. Thank you! Pat Spence

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Other titles
by Pat Spence

True
Blue
(Book Two in The Blue Crystal
Trilogy)

Into The
Blue
(Book Three in The Blue Crystal
Trilogy) coming soon …

Abigail’s Affair

A quirky love
story set in the UK and Australia

PROLOGUE:

Two figures peered through the
oppressive darkness, surveying the scene before them. The smell of
decay hung everywhere, ingrained in the ancient walls. Undisturbed
for many years, the air lay heavy and stale.

It was a natural underground
cavern, enhanced by man at some point in the past, the sweeping
vaulted ceiling of the main chamber giving the impression of a vast
subterranean cathedral. Stacked on shelves hewn into the rock lay
the rotting remains of centuries old coffins, spewing out their
bony contents onto the ground beneath.

The smaller of the two figures
carelessly flung open the lid of the nearest coffin, inhaling
deeply the cadaverous odour that spilled forth.

‘
Enough,’ commanded the
other. ‘Let them be. We have not come to wake the dead, but to find
a resting place for the living.’

The smaller figure indicated a
raised plinth at the far end of the crypt, on which stood a large
lead tomb.

‘
Perhaps there…’

The larger figure crossed to
the raised area and, moving the heavy lid to one side with apparent
ease, examined the inside.

‘
Perfect. Remove the
occupant. Make space for the girl.’

The sighing of a thousand souls
seemed to fill the chamber, causing the air to tremor and long
settled dust to rise in clouds.

‘
Silence,’ commanded the
larger figure, raising its arms, its raspy voice rippling through
the darkness. ‘There is work to do. My time is nigh…’

PART ONE: TEENAGE LIFE

1. Classroom

I put my foot down on Martha’s
accelerator and felt her surge forward. Arriving early at college,
I parked and walked slowly to my English seminar, hovering
nervously in the classroom doorway. I wasn’t looking forward to
seeing my friends. Last time I’d seen Seth and Tash had been at
Hartswell Hall when they’d witnessed the power of the blue crystal
for themselves. My fingers went to the small blue crystal hanging
round my neck and stroking its smooth, cool facets, I felt
better.

‘Emily, you have some
explaining to do!’ Tash’s voice came from down the corridor and I
turned to face her. Seth was with her and neither looked happy.

‘What’s going on, Em?’ he
asked. ‘Why did you go back into the Clock Tower? And what happened
to Kimberley Chartreuse? She was fit.’