Moonshadow (15 page)

“When the other Seraphar saw that the love of Udana and Endymion did not bring death and darkness, they too began to consummate their unrequited loves for human men and women. Seven in total engaged in love affairs with humans, begetting more of the Thirdborn.

“It took many centuries for the consequences of Udana and Endymion’s actions to come to fruition, however. Eventually, wars erupted between humans and the Thirdborn which brought chaos to Madaera. Elberon grieved for his children, crying great tears to flood the earth; for only by their complete annihilation could the Mother be purified and restored to glory.

“When the rains did not cease, many blamed Endymion for his transgression against Elberon and the shepherd was killed in an attempt to appease the Father’s wrath. Stricken by grief, Udana forsook her place in the sky and made the treacherous journey deep within the Veil, into the mysterious unknown, in search of the soul of her beloved. With Udana gone, the moon did not give light nor did it keep the Mother in balance—it was a time of unmatched suffering and death.

“After many trials and tribulations, Udana finally reached the Halls of Morvera, Keeper of the Dead and guardian of the final gateway into the Golden Kingdom in the realm beyond the Veil. Udana pleaded with Morvera to let Endymion return to the world of the living but her stalwart sister was unmoved. Finally, Udana declared that she would give up her immortality and authority as a Seraphar to be with her beloved in death. Morvera consented and presented her sister with the Cup of Death, so that she may drink of it and pass through the final gate.

“Without hesitation, Udana drank deeply of the draught and was reunited with Endymion, though not in the mysterious beyond. Instead, both Udana and Endymion found themselves in the midst of the Great Court of Elberon.

“Elberon was moved by Udana’s actions, and her sacrifice for Endymion proved to him that their love was true and worthy. Even though the cries of the Mother demanded justice, Elberon—in his mercy—agreed to spare their children from complete annihilation.

“As for the other Seraphar who had begotten children with mankind; they were cast from their thrones, forever deemed the Fallen, and chained within the darkest depths of the Veil—the Pit of Shadows.”

“What happened to Udana?” asked an anxious Diana. “She wasn’t cast into the Pit with the others, was she?”

Darien smiled and shook his head. “Udana and Endymion were granted a mercy—if you can call it that. The shepherd was restored to life and granted the gift of immortality; however—as you know—he was made to slumber. Udana, not counted among the Fallen because of her loving sacrifice, returned to her throne as Keeper of the Moon. During the night of the new moon, Udana is allowed to descend from her place in the heavens and sleep beside her beloved shepherd, who continues to dream until he awakens in the Days of Remaking.

“So ends the tale of Udana of the Moon and Endymion, Prince of Shepherds.” When he finished telling his tale, Darien stared off into the night’s sky.

They sat in silence for a long moment, Diana unsure how to respond.

“What a beautifully tragic story,” she said, genuinely moved by it. The tale felt as old as time itself—it was a story that would touch the heart of any who heard it.

“Yes it is,” Darien replied and then looked into her eyes as if searching within for an answer to a deeply heartfelt question.

Diana’s heart raced under his gaze. Those gray portals sparkled with profound wonder, fascination, and anticipation that echoed with her. It was the same faraway yet near contemplation he’d had standing before the mysterious stone stele.

With his hand, Darien brushed the side of her face with the backs of his fingers. The soft, gentle, touch of his skin filled her body with warm chills and she covered his hand with her own.

Not once did she tear her gaze from his.

Darien leaned in, and after the longest of moments, his lips softly touched hers. The warmth of them somehow matched the warmth she felt inside.

Diana forced herself to breathe, not knowing that she had stopped, and the scent of the air made the flutters she felt inside of her stomach course through her entire body. She couldn’t tell whether it was his skin or his hair—or both—but it filled her an intense longing for more.

As Diana returned his kiss she felt more of his soft touch as he cupped her face with both hands. 

It was a kiss unlike any she had ever experienced. The warmth in Diana’s chest made all seem right in a world of chaos. Her lips felt as if they had been born with his and had been torn apart at some point in time—only now were they finally at home. The same could be said for the touch of his hands on her face, feeling as if they had always belonged there. There was a light of life that echoed between the two of them; a life that, until now, was only half of something greater.

The two halves were longing to be made whole.

Diana’s tongue began to part Darien’s lips, opening his mouth wider to hers.

Suddenly, Darien tore his lips from hers and the perfect moment was ended. Diana’s heart cried out with ire, having been denied its desired light, as he pulled away from her.

“Diana—I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have—.”

In a haze, she was brought back to a reality that she couldn’t quite remember and life felt inadequate. Diana brought her hand to her face, touching the skin where Darien’s hands had been just a moment ago.

Her eyes began to focus on Darien’s troubled and deeply apologetic expression and she found herself.

“That’s the first time you called me Diana,” she said upon realization.

“I—I’m sorry, Miss Selene. Forgive me for—for everything.” He seemed genuinely ashamed—and somewhat afraid—of what he had done, as if he had no idea what had come over him.

Diana took Darien’s face softly in her hand and looked him in the eyes.

“There is nothing to forgive. I kissed you too, you know—and please—call me Diana.” When he called her by her name, it had almost felt more intimate than the kiss—almost.

“Yes, of course…Diana.” The way he said her name, it sounded as if he had waited a lifetime for the opportunity to do so. Perhaps among his people, calling someone by their first name carried an unspoken intimacy that was reserved for close friends and lovers.

“Come,” he said as he stood and offered her his hand. “Let’s get you home.”

Diana smiled with a warmth that reflected what she felt within, took Darien’s offered hand, and they continued to walk, hand in hand, bathed in the luminous glow of the moon.

Chapter 9

Is this the realm of Fae I learned to fear?

No wretched ghoul nor demon do I see,

But rather, those fair folk of Venus born.

Yet, Avalon’s ruler is the foul beast,

That ripped blessed Mother from daughter’s side.

It was Sunday morning and Diana felt an uncharacteristic need to go to church. Though why, she didn’t really know. She’d never been a religious person, having only gone to services a handful of times with her grandmother, but she felt very lost. Perhaps she needed some sort of faith-based anchor to hold onto in the chaotic sea that was her present state of mind.

Diana would have likely dismissed the previous night’s events as an elaborate and fantastic dream had she not, in fact, spent the majority of her sleeping hours within the nightmare realm she now knew to be the Veil. As soon as her dreaming consciousness appeared in the eye of a swirling tempest filled with Terrorfiends made of green lightning, Diana knew she could not dismiss the truths laid out by Darien. He belonged to a legendary race of magical beings and her dream world—the Veil—was the home of the powerful, and sentient, forces of nature.

Diana didn’t know if the truth brought an amount of peace to her spirit or filled her with even more fear—probably both.

She still had no idea why the Veil chose to torment her over any other human being. Darien’s explanation made a fair amount of sense, and it certainly explained why her dreams returned once she came to the university, however, it didn’t account for why the Veil had called to her originally. If it was simply due to her being spiritually sensitive, why had her dreams come upon her so suddenly? Did turning twelve somehow make Diana a more spiritual person? If so, why did the dreams eventually stop? Had the Veil gotten tired of her refusal to journey there? One thing was for certain: there was definitely more truth out there, and Diana needed to find it.

Making her way through the quad in the direction of the nearest church, Diana realized she’d rather be alone than be in the midst of caring, yet intrusive, strangers. A tranquil Sunday morning walk sounded like a much more lucrative spiritual exercise than singing some stuffy old songs she didn’t know and then listening to some boring sermon.

Diana turned on her heel and let nature guide her directional bearings. Just beyond the Gothic library, she spotted a lovely trail leading into the woods and headed that way.

With the tall trees all around her, and the morning sun shining on her face through the leaves, Diana began to feel the peace she desired. She closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath. The musty scent of leaves and tree-bark, mingled with the aroma of the grass and earth, filled her mind with thoughts of the autumn that was only a few weeks away. Very soon, all the leaves surrounding her would be turning colors and falling to the ground.

Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring—the seasonal cycle of death and rebirth that has existed since time began. What did it all mean to Diana now? Did powers exist within the Veil that governed the seasons? If Darien’s tale of the shepherd and the Moon Keeper was true, did that mean other myths and legends were reality as well? Was the death of winter heralded by the earth-mother Demeter’s mourning for her beloved daughter, Persephone? Did the new life of spring come with her return from the Underworld?

The trail suddenly meandered to the left but Diana didn’t feel like following the path; instead, she kept walking forward into the trees. If she found herself lost, she could just walk straight back the way she came.

Diana’s thoughts drifted back to Darien’s tragic story of the Moon Keeper, her shepherd prince, and the magical kiss she and Darien had shared. Even now, her heart was all-a-flutter just remembering how soft his lips had been on her own and the indescribable warmth that had filled her as his hand caressed her face. Even the kiss had felt like a fantasy come to life. Visions of Udana and Endymion sharing the same magical moment together filled Diana’s mind, but they were soon overshadowed by a sudden epiphany.

Udana and Endymion decorated the ancient elven monument.

If they were real, does that mean the Chalice of the Moon exists as well? If so, how did Foxwell Flinders and Charlotte come to learn of it? Had they somehow managed to translate the ancient language of Darien’s people? Darien did mention that Flinders somehow knew about the magical places of the world. Had he stumbled upon forbidden knowledge? Perhaps
that
was the true reason he and Charlotte did not reach old age.

Diana gasped at the notion.
Did Darien’s people kill my aunt?

Her train of thought suddenly halted when her entire body began tingling like a limb that had just woken up from losing circulation. Diana closed her eyes tightly at the sharp pins and needles tingling every inch of her skin and stood perfectly still, willing her muscles not to move so the spasms of discomfort didn’t intensify. Within a matter of moments, the sensation faded and Diana opened her eyes.

The woods had changed.

Before the fit of tingles her vision had been filled with dense trees and foliage, but now, she stood at the edge of a circular clearing of the woods that hadn’t existed mere moments ago. In the center stood ruins that were not unlike the crumbling temple in which Diana had encountered Darien’s dreaming self within the Veil. Was she there now? Can a person daydream into the realm of magic as well?

A movement of shadows caught Diana’s eye, and in a panic, she instinctively grabbed the trunk of the tree to her right and hid behind it.

She inhaled deeply though her nose and then slowly exhaled through her mouth, calming herself.

No; this isn’t the Veil
. She didn’t sense the potent chaos of that place; this was something completely different.

Curious, Diana moved from behind the tree to inspect the clearing and the ruins within it. A small square building, made from dark stone, stood in the center of six tall pillars, none of which reached their original heights, having been broken at different places. The
shadows emanated from the collapsed roof of the square building.

Someone was inside.

Diana walked slowly towards the ruins for a closer look, having no earthly idea what she expected to find within.

Peering through a hole in the wall, Diana stood mesmerized by the sight of a young woman wearing colorful flowing robes, dancing hypnotically between seven statues of white marble. As she spun and pirouetted, the long sleeves of white and pink, and spinning blue skirts embroidered with dazzling white flowers, moved along with her, creating an amazing display of color as she weaved in and out from among the stone images. In the very center, stood an altar of burning wood which had cast the swaying shadows that had first caught Diana’s eye. Once the girl was bathed in its illuminating glow, Diana realized it was Miri.

Diana’s gaze shifted to the opposite side of the room and she saw Darien and Andrew kneeling in the grass, with their hands clasped in their laps, in quite meditation. She must have stumbled upon some sort of elven religious ceremony.

With respectful quiet, she continued to watch Miri’s beautiful entrancing dance between the statues. The images appeared to be of three males and four females, each chiseled with the exquisitely regal presence akin to the statues of deities from ancient times. Six stood in a semi-circle facing the lone female statue opposite them. From the crescent moon on her forehead, the downward crook in in her hand, and the chalice held to her breast, Diana knew her to be Udana—the Keeper of the Moon herself.

Diana had visited religious places in the past, filled with expertly carved statues of saints or other spiritual paragons, but never had her heart been so moved by the divine as it was now, gazing on the sacred beauty and magnificence of Udana. She called to Diana’s spirit and Diana wanted nothing more than to join in Miri’s dancing.

In the briefest of moments, Miri opened her eyes from within her spinning rhythms, and for a fraction of a second, they locked with Diana’s.

With a startled yelp, Diana quickly crouched down behind the wall and closed her eyes like a small child, who thinks that by closing out the world, they will remain invisible to those who seek them.

A few agonizing moments passed before Diana could feel the stares of three very surprised individuals boring holes into the top of her head.

She slowly lifted her face from out of her hands and then opened her eyes to see Darien, Andrew, and Miri standing in front of her, waiting for her to get up.

Why did Diana feel so embarrassed? It’s not like she purposefully wandered into the clearing looking for Darien like some clingy stalker. They didn’t own the woods; it was public property.

“Well now; this is new,” said an amused Andrew as a roguish smile crept to his mouth. “You’re not the vision I expected from the Mother on this fine first day of the week. Is she the answer to
your
prayer this morning, Darien?”

Darien looked mortified by Andrew’s comments, though not because they were ludicrous and unfounded. Instead he flushed with embarrassment, as if Andrew had just brought his heart’s desires out into the open for all to see.

Diana couldn’t help but smile as she stood up from ground and brushed the dirt from her jeans.

While Andrew looked amused and Darien stood embarrassed, Miri’s perplexed gaze was fixed on Diana as if she’d just fallen out of the sky. Diana could tell that Miri wanted her to explain her presence somehow, but didn’t quite know how to phrase the question. She must be unsure of how much Diana actually knew. Miri quickly turned her inquisitive stare onto Darien.

“She knows everything,” Darien said in reply to her look of interrogation. “I told her last night.”

Andrew and Miri—in unison—immediately started speaking their melodious language as if Diana wasn’t there at all.

Darien cleared his throat. “You are being rude to Miss Selene.”

The golden-haired twins glanced at Diana and nodded in apology.

“How did you find this place, Diana?” Miri asked, finally giving voice to her burning question. “The barrier masks the grotto from the outside and repels humans from entering. Even if you did somehow manage to pass through it, you should have lost consciousness.”

“I’m not sure,” Diana replied with a shrug of her shoulders. “I was just going for a walk and ended up here, I swear. I did get a crazy shock or something when I walked in here.”

“The barrier’s magic is probably weakening,” Darien said in contemplation. “I’ll look the runestones over when I get a chance. For the time being, though, there’s no harm in Miss Selene’s presence here.”

“You didn’t waste any time, did you, Endymion?” Andrew said with sarcasm. “Are you that eager to have her enthralled?”

“It was out of my hands,” Darien replied in defense. “We were in a life and death situation and I was forced to use magic.”

Miri looked to Diana with concern in her eyes. “I apologize if we’re giving you the wrong impression, Diana. We aren’t angry with Endymion for telling you the truth; it’s just that, things could get incredibly
complicated
for you if say, Terraiyah were to find out you know about us.”

“It’s a good thing Spitfire had clinicals this morning,” Andrew chimed in. “Otherwise, the Shadowstalkers would be here by noon to give you the ring.”

Diana’s eyes widened at Andrew’s remarks and with the three of them looking on, her mind reeling. It took a few moments for Diana to register it all—the events of the previous night, the Veil calling to her dreams, her soul-searching walk through the woods, and now, Miri’s mesmerizing dance before the statues.

“So it’s true,” she finally said with wonder in her voice. “You’re elves.”

The twins just nodded and then looked at Darien with confusion in their eyes.

“Yes; it’s true Diana,” Darien said while taking her hand into his. “Are you alright? You’re losing your color.”

“I’m fine,” Diana replied, though not really believing herself. “I’m just having a little trouble adjusting to my new reality.”

Diana decided to change the subject.

“That was a beautiful dance, Miri. Was it religious?”

“Thank you; yes,” she said with her usual warm smile. “I’m an
Alma
—what some might call a shrine maiden. It’s our duty to perform the sacred dances that sooth the Mother and bring her back into balance.”

“I see,” Diana said, though she didn’t see at all. She would have to have Darien explain the whole business to her later.

“I’m famished,” Andrew said while placing his hands on his stomach. “I hope Marjorie has brunch ready.”

“Care to join us, Miss Selene?” Darien asked with delight.

“Sounds wonderful,” she replied and the four of them began making their way out of the hidden grotto and into the woods.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Diana asked a question she had been pondering. “What’s a Shadowstalker?”

It was Miri who answered first. “The Shadowstalkers are an elite group of assassins, Diana. They are very dangerous.”