Moonshadow (14 page)

Darien’s amazed eyes and warm smile made Diana feel like a glittering treasure. She’d impressed him with her analogy.

“Yes, that is a perfect explanation,” he said as he took her hand in his. “But come, we must get you to your room.”

“But I have so many more questions,” she protested.

“In due time, Miss Selene.”

“Okay, just one more for now then. You used magic to stop the car, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I am a stone mage.”

“So, you can control things like rocks and dirt?”

Darien nodded. “I can bend the Veil energies in earthen materials to my will, forming them in various ways. For example, I can make a lead pipe as weak and brittle as clay.”

“Or make a clay object as hard as a lead pipe,” Diana chimed in as realization dawned on her. Darien had used a bit of magic the night he saved Lani from the football thugs. Looking back, the blunt object he had used had seemed way too fragile to knock out a football player.

Darien smiled at her for figuring it out.

“You caught me, Miss Selene. I thought it best not to leave behind any physical evidence that would link me to the attack—just in case I hit the Neanderthal too hard and killed him. It was really just a clump of dirt I pulled from a potted plant before I ran outside. After it was over, it turned back into simple dirt. Whatever evidence that would be left behind would not be able to be analyzed sufficiently.”

“What about the others?” Diana asked. “Are Andrew and Miri mages too?”

“Anderon’s abilities are water-based; Miraena’s are as well, although her skills lie more in the area of atmospheric manipulations.”

“Miri is a weather mage? That’s so cool.” Diana’s imagination filled with visions of Miri flying through the clouds wielding lightning bolts.

“Not exactly,” he replied. “The weather is an extremely difficult realm to master. It takes a group of proficient storm mages, with centuries of training, to influence weather patterns. Miraena is nowhere near that powerful. She can, however, manipulate the moisture in the air around her to make things like mists or fogs. She can also manipulate air currents to a certain extent and use them forcibly as a weapon.”

“So, she’s more of a wind mage,” Diana said.

“I suppose so.”

“Can you master multiple areas of magic?”

“Most of us are born with an affinity for only one element. However, a rare few are born with the capacity to master all elements and aspects of magic; they go on to become Archmages. Each element takes, at the very least, two hundred years to become adept. The journey to become an Archmage is a life-long one that few are able to reach to completion.”

He pulled at her hand. “Now, we must be on our way.”

Diana sensed his growing impatience but ignored it. “One last question.”

His irritation was evident. “Didn’t you say that very thing five questions ago?”

“Terra is a fire mage, isn’t she?” she asked. “That’s the reason Andrew laughed at my ‘fireballs-from-her-eyes’ comment.”

Darien nodded, a bit too gravely, that she was correct and Diana felt beads of perspiration form upon her brow. Terra really
could
burn her alive if she wanted to—and she seemed to want to quite a bit.

Diana didn’t like talking about this so much anymore.

Darien recognized the concern on her face.

“I wouldn’t fret about it too much, Miss Selene. She may seem threatening but Terraiyah won’t harm you. In fact, she has a stern devotion to abstaining from her powers if it’s not necessary.”

“Well that’s good at least,” Diana replied after a deep breath. “We can go now.”

Darien nodded and then reached for the stairwell door but turned around abruptly.

“For the time being, it would probably be best if you do not mention any of this to the others. I’m not quite certain how they’d react to you knowing our secrets.”

Diana nodded to his request and they walked hand-in-hand out of the library.

Once outside, Diana closed her eyes and let Darien lead her by the hand as she breathed in the cool night air of a world she apparently knew nothing about.

Was any of what happened tonight truly real? With Darien back in his human form, it really did seem like just a dream. Her rational mind and heart for fantasy were at war with each other, struggling to make sense of her present reality.

Opening her eyes, Diana’s heart dropped to see that they were nearing her dorm. She didn’t want the evening to end, not yet. Not only did she have so many unanswered questions, but she wasn’t ready to say goodnight to Darien either. Prior to the world-shattering scenario that had just occurred, she’d been having a wonderful first date with Darien Shepherd as he escorted her through a treasure trove of ancient artifacts. She’d also rather enjoyed dressing up in a fancy gala dress, though her exquisite matching heels were now taking quite the toll on her feet.

Passing a nearby bench, the aches in her feet gave Diana a clever inspiration and she smiled to herself. Perhaps she could extend the evening a bit longer after all.

“I’m going to need to rest my feet a bit,” she declared and then sat down. “I haven’t worn heels like this in a while.” Diana slipped off her shoes and sat them beside her on the bench. “You can go on home if you like, though. We aren’t too far from the dorms; I can get myself back alright.”

Though impatient, Darien looked defiant to her offer nonetheless. “It’s Saturday night and there is no telling how many drunken fools are lurking about. I said I would see you safely home and that is what I intend to do.”

He sat down beside her and then surveyed the area for signs of trouble. Once he determined the area to be safe he relaxed.

“Take as much time as you need,” he declared.

Diana smiled with intense satisfaction at how easy it was to manipulate Darien’s overprotectiveness. There was no doubt in her mind that it wouldn’t be the last time she did it, either.

Diana sighed happily and looked up into the cloudless night’s sky. The full moon made the evening perfect. It also inspired her to ask a question she knew Darien would be more than happy to answer with enthusiasm.

“You mentioned Endymion and the moon goddess earlier. Can you tell me more about them while rest my feet?” Diana asked, continuing to look at the moon.

“Of course,” Darien replied with a warm smile. He also looked to the moon for a moment before he began. “Their tale is one I have heard since before I can remember. My mother seemed to have a special place in her heart for it.” He looked lost in a memory for a moment. “I suppose that’s why she named me Endymion; it isn’t a completely uncommon name among my people, but I don’t know many others besides myself. Mother used to tell me their story as I drifted to sleep; I can quote most standard versions by heart.”

“Then you may proceed, oh great storyteller,” Diana replied with mock politeness while she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.

He cleared his throat. “For the sake of brevity, I’m going to gloss over the beginning of time.”

“How kind of you,” Diana replied with a sardonic smirk.

Darien crossed one leg over the other and looked a great deal more relaxed than Diana had ever seen him in the past. There was also a hint of excitement and joy on his face. She could feel that the story he was about to relate was very dear to him. Even though he was back in his human disguise, Diana felt like she was seeing the real Darien for the first time.

“Madaera, the Great Mother, and Elberon, the Mighty Father, gave birth to two races; the Firstborn, the Kratari—which means
Powers
—and the Secondborn, the
Tanarai—
our name for humanity. The Firstborn are the magical beings of the Veil—what you might call nature spirits—and under the leadership of the greater Kratari, the Seraphar, the Soul of the Mother was in balance with her Body and the world was at peace.

“The First Law of Elberon was that humans should have no knowledge of magic, the Veil, or the Kratari until they were ready, discovering the nature of the Mother’s Soul for themselves. Breaking the First Law would bring death and darkness to Madaera. The Seraphar, along with the rest of the Firstborn, were charged with operating within the Veil and keeping watch over the Mother and her youngest children. They were forbidden to take physical form and make themselves known to humans.

“In those early ages, mankind’s civilization was simple and peaceful. They built villages and town-centers, cultivated land, and kept herds and flocks. Concepts like nations, kings, and conquest didn’t exist.

“One night, the young shepherd Endymion was out with his flock under the night’s sky when a wolf crept amongst the sheep and took one of the ewe lambs. When Endymion realized what had happened, he left the other sheep in pursuit. It was very dark and he couldn’t follow the tracks. In an answer to an unspoken prayer, the clouds shifted and the moon lit his way just enough to track the wolf. Endymion thanked the moon for its gift of light and the shepherd confronted the wolf just outside its lair.

“The night grew dark again and Endymion found it increasingly hard to see. He fought with all he had, but the wolf had better vision. As the wolf lunged in for the kill, about to tear out Endymion’s throat, the moon appeared again. It was enough for the shepherd to see the attack and crush the wolf’s skull with his crook. With the wolf dead and the lamb safe, Endymion fell to his knees before the moon and thanked her for saving his life—declaring that it now belonged to her.

“The next night, while lounging under the light of the moon with his flock, Endymion picked up his lyre and wrote a song for his beloved. Udana heard the shepherd’s song and took notice of him. A longing that the Moon Keeper did not understand stirred within her heart and she loved him from that moment on.

“Every night, Endymion would sing to his heavenly lady a new lyric of his love for her, not knowing that Udana continued to watch and listen. She knew it was forbidden, and it grieved her, but Udana loved the shepherd and longed to be with him.

“The Moon Keeper’s infatuation with the human greatly troubled Sephriel, Keeper of the Dawn, who was close to Udana and loved her dearly. He grew jealous of Endymion and it quickly swelled into a hatred for all mankind. He thought of nothing but destroying them all and ridding the Mother of their parasitic corruption.

“One night, Udana decided to take the form of a rabbit to be near Endymion. Seizing the opportunity, Sephriel took the form of a serpent, attacked Udana in front the shepherd, and then skulked off into the shadows. The attack left Udana weakened and unable to stay in the form of a rabbit, forcing to take her Krataric form in the physical realm.

“Endymion looked on Udana—who was wounded and naked—and felt compassion for her. He took her in his arms, caring for her like any one of his wounded lambs, and her love for the shepherd continued to grow.

“When Endymion left her for a moment to tend to his flock, Sephriel appeared to whisper honeyed words of temptation into Udana’s ear.”

“What’d he say?” Diana asked with excitement, not realizing she was on the edge of the bench. Apparently, she’d been consumed with Darien’s tale.

Darien laughed at her enthusiasm. “If you want the full version, I have an English translation in my study.”

“I want the dialogue for this part,” she demanded before smiling wide. “And make it dramatic.”

Darien chuckled at her request. “I’ll try my best. Where were we?”

“Sephriel the Tempter,” Diana quickly replied, eager to hear more.

“Oh right.” He cleared his throat before continuing.

“‘What troubles you, my sister?’ Sephriel asked the Moon Keeper.” Darien did his best to assume a sly, villainous, persona.

“‘I cannot know the man I love and I will surely die from my broken heart,’ she replied.

“‘Did our mighty father tell us that we could never love?’ Sephriel asked.

“‘Elberon decreed that we must never know the Secondborn—lest the Mother die,’ Udana replied.

“‘Surely, our father and mother want all their children to love one another. You and the shepherd knowing each other in love will surely not bring death to the mother. Such a thing cannot come to pass. Love begets life, not death.’ And with that, Sephriel returned to the shadows.

“The words of the Keeper of the Dawn echoed within Udana’s heart, consuming her. When Endymion returned to tend her wounds, the shepherd saw that she was already healed and marveled.”

Darien took Diana’s hands into his own and addressed her as if she were the Moon Keeper. “‘Who
are
you my lady?’ he asked the beautiful maiden.

“Remembering the words of Sephriel, Udana forgot Elberon’s warning and gave in to her longings.

“‘I am Udana of the Moon,’ she declared. ‘For whom your song of love was written. You have saved me, as I once saved you. Know that I love you and my heart sings with yours.’”

“The shepherd took the Moon Keeper into his arms and kissed her, the fires of their hearts dancing in unison. That night they knew each other as lovers, their souls entwining as new life formed within Udana’s womb. The fruit of their union was the first of the Thirdborn—the Naphalei.