“I believe this is yours,” a familiar voice said.
She turned and her chin began to quiver as the familiar voice added, “You never opened it.”
She couldn’t take her eyes off him. “How do you know that?”
“The seal over the emblem isn’t cracked,” he answered.
She lowered her hand and took the tiny box from him. “I was afraid to open it.”
His eyes grew curious. “You were afraid?”
She nodded and looked down at the small wooden treasure in her hand. “I couldn’t let Nicolai down again.”
“I understand.”
She looked back up, her eyes brimming with human emotion. “You do?”
He took a step towards her. “We both let him down.”
“Elias…” she let each syllable of his name fall from her lips slowly.
He put his hand over hers and nodded to the box. “Open it.”
She pulled at the leather, breaking the emblem. Tiny gold sparks fell from its bindings. She gasped, startled by its magic. The leather fell into pieces, revealing a smooth rune-covered wooden box.
“You’ve been a human for far too long my dear.” He laughed. “You’ve forgotten that our leather bindings are magical and can only be opened by who the gift is intended for.”
She smiled at the familiarity of the runes that covered the box. It was like the wooden box her wedding band had come in. She ran her fingers along the top of the box and put slight pressure on the middle of it. Three spirals linked by one center appeared and glowed brightly. Counting under her breath, she whispered. “One.”
“Two,” Elias whispered.
“Three.” There was a tiny click and the top of the box popped open. “Elias, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, pulling out a silver necklace with a rune-covered heart pendant. In the center of the heart pendant was a picture of Nicolai, Elias, Angelina, and herself. Next to the pendant lay a small scroll tied with a thin, red satin ribbon.
“Please, before you say anything, read.”
She nodded and unfolded the paper carefully. She felt her eyes begin to mist again and sniffled. “Darn these human emotions.”
“They look well on you.” He smiled and looked down, somewhat embarrassed.
Returning the smile, she read the simple message meant just for her:
You were right. The world around us doesn’t care who you are or where you come from. All species are created equal and I would rather live amongst the humans than live without you or our child.
Please forgive me.
“I guess these human emotions really aren’t that bad, are they?” she said, blinking back tears.
“I guess not,” he agreed.
She picked up the necklace and handed it to him. Smiling, he walked behind her and pushed her long, red hair to the side. His hand was cool against her soft, pale skin. He latched the fragile necklace and turned her around to face him. She felt beautiful in his eyes. This was one human emotion she would always cherish. The feeling of real, wholesome, unconditional love. Not the story book, imaginary kind of love that people look for their entire lives. This was the kind of love you would die for. This was the kind of love Nicolai and Angelina had.
Nostalgia hit Ctephanyi like a ton of bricks. She finally understood. It took her to become a human being to see that true love does conquer all. It’s more powerful than any one thing or creature on Earth.
“Maybe these emotions are just what we needed to bring us back together as a family,” he said.
“A real family,” she sighed.
“Look at the love Angelina and Nicolai have. We can’t deny the love they share between them, plus”—he stared into her cobalt ice blue eyes—“she gave us a second chance at life. Angelina gave us a second chance to get it right.”
Ctephanyi looked at the herd of deer that surrounded them. “Look at all of them…”
The loving look fell from his face. “My love, the Earth is dying.”
Nausea filtered into Ctephanyi’s body like a parasite looking for an easy host. “What do you mean, the Earth is dying? It’s an everlasting factor to all that is living.”
“It’s dying, Ctephanyi, and the only person that can save it is Angelina.”
Her light eyes widened. “I was warned, a long time ago. He was a child then. He meant nothing to us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged, holding her secrets to herself. If Elias knew, he would be disappointed, and she had already disappointed enough people. Nobody could ever know what she had witnessed. This was her chance to make it right.
Ctephanyi looked down at the pendant. Life meant so much more now than it had in the past. Now she had a reason to live. “No.”
“No?” Elias questioned, curiously.
“No,” she repeated. “We are going to fix what we should have fixed a long time ago.”
“How?” he questioned, raising his brow.
“Hecate has restored all that was mine,” she said proudly.
His face twisted into a look of awe and surprise. “With what stipulation?”
She smirked. “The stipulation was that I save Angelina from a fate that involved Tristan.”
“How?” he stuttered.
“We need to stop the Crimson Moon from rising.”
“So, the legends are true?” Elias asked. His eyes gave him away. She could see that he knew just how much trouble they were in.
Her hand clasped the pendant around her neck protectively. “Tristan has returned, and he’s here to take what he thinks is his,” she said.
Elias frowned deeply. “Well, that explains why the Earth is dying.”
Now it was her turn to look confused. “What do you mean?”
“Whoever brought him back knew if he walked the Earth again, it would die a slow death. His life force poisons the Earth with every step he takes, and in every step, he grows stronger. Soon he will be unstoppable.”
“We need to hurry. The crimson moss is already dying, and Tristan will be looking for Angelina, as she is the key to life.” The cheap, colored contact lenses she wore couldn’t hide the determination in her eyes.
“Where is Tristan hiding?” Elias asked.
“Hiding?” she scoffed. “He’s not hiding, he’s waiting for her to find him. He’s out in the open. He’s purposefully putting himself out there so she will be intrigued by his fearlessness.”
“We should find her before he does, so we can enlighten her mind. She needs to be ready for the evil she is about to face.” He gazed into the crimson-colored forest and frowned.
“What about the deer? The humans aren’t going to understand this. They’re going to be terrified.”
“There’s nothing we can do about the deer right now. The humans will likely blame it on the folklore that the ‘mythical creatures’ living in the forest did it.”
“You’re right, Elias.”
“The deer will refuse to return to the forest as long as evil walks inside it,” he said.
“I don’t blame them.”
“We can deal with the humans and their reaction later,” Elias noted. “Right now, we have to save the Earth.”
Ctephanyi laughed.
He looked at her questioningly. “What?”
“I’m sorry, but right then, you sound like one of those cheesy human superheroes on TV,” she said
He laughed along with her. “These humans do have an odd fascination with super beings.”
They looked at each other momentarily before laughing in unison. Folklore had deemed their species as monsters, but fiction, on the other hand, would deem superheroes.
Taking his wife by the hand, Elias smiled. “Shall we go save the Earth?”
With a smile, she nodded. “Why yes, Elias. Let’s go be superheroes and save the day.”
Chapter 16
The Key
The forest embraced them in silence as they made their way through the dense brush. Its peaceful nature seem
ed overshadowed by something dark and menacing.
Jeremiah pointed to the top of a nearby oak tree. “Look at the moss, it’s dying.”
He was right. The ever-intriguing vines of crimson moss that were swirled around the tree trunks had begun to turn dark and ash away.
“It has begun,” my father said, his eyes shifting to the tree tops. “If the Crimson Moon rises, it will be too late.”
I turned to look at him sharply. “What did you just say?”
He looked back at me curiously. “About what?”
“The moon.”
“Once a keeper of the Underworld has risen to the Earth’s surface, they have seven days to find the key to immortality, otherwise they are forced to return and endure another ten thousand years of death.”
“Tristan is a keeper of the Underworld?”
My father nodded. “Yes, he is.”
“And this key to immortality, where is it located?
The expression on his face hardened and he took a moment to gather his thoughts. He walked over and our eyes met. “Angelina, the key is you.”
It took me a moment to digest what he’d said. I was the key to immortality? I felt Daniel staring at me. “I suppose you knew about this, too?”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted his weight uncomfortably.
“Answer me!”
He looked down shamefully. “Yes, I knew.”
“And what about you?” I asked, switching my attention to Bethani.
Her face paled. “Yes.”
“How long have you known?” I asked.
“Always,” she replied.
“Didn’t any of you think maybe, just maybe, it would have been nice to tell me this?”
“Angelina, you wouldn’t have understood,” my father said.
“Mathias was right,” I whispered.
“Mathias? When did you see him?” my father asked in surprise.
Nicolai took a step forward and answered for me. “He came to her in a dream.”
My cheeks flushed in anger instantly. “How did you…wait, you read my mind?”
He looked away sheepishly. “You were panicking and talking in your sleep. It worried me.”
“You promised you would never do that,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
“We don’t have time for a lover’s quarrel,” Daniel interrupted. His loud voice echoed around us.
Drawing in a deep breath, I pushed past Nicolai. “How long do we have before the Crimson Moon rises?”
“Three days,” my father replied.
“Well then, we best get going,” I replied. I whistled and motioned for Snow to follow me. She trotted along behind me, growling softly as she passed by Nicolai.
“Yeah, I know,” Nicolai muttered under his breath.
“She’s not growling at you,” Bethani said, reaching for her bow. “She’s growling at the two people that are coming up behind you.”
Nicolai’s fiery orange eyes lit up as he turned around. “It can’t be.”
“Why is he with her? Is this some sort of sick joke?” I asked.
Ctephanyi and Elias were together again. They looked cool and calm as they made their way toward us.
Jeremiah puffed out his manly chest. “Don’t worry, we got this,” he promised.
“There’s nothing to fear from Elias,” Ctephanyi called out.
Elias smiled. “I think you’ve forgotten your mother has spectacular hearing.”
Snow’s growl deepened and she snarled as they walked passed her.
Ctephanyi bent down and held her hand out to the wolf pup. “Angelina, what are you feeding this animal? She looks as if she’s grown three sizes since I last saw her.”
Snow sniffed at Ctephanyi’s long dress. Sensing familiarity, her growl immediately disappeared and she began to wag her tail happily. “This wolf pup here is pretty special,” she said, her icy white eyes twinkled with mischief.
“You don’t happen to know what she’s talking about, do you?” I asked Jeremiah.
He looked at me and kicked at the grass. “Maybe…”
Now my curiosity was piqued. “Where did you get Snow?”
“A beautiful woman in a long, golden laced robe came to me. She told me the pup would help with your loss of Cole.”
“A woman in a golden laced robe gave her to you to give to me?”
He nodded. “One afternoon, I was chopping wood and she just appeared out of nowhere. She said it broke her heart to see you so sad.”
“What did she look like?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he muttered. “She was beautiful and wearing a robe.”
“That’s helpful,” I replied.
Ctephanyi ran her hand down Snow’s smooth, white fur and looked up. “It was your mother, Angelina.”
“My mother? She’s not allowed to come back, or so I thought.”
She stood up and dusted herself off. “She can’t. She broke the rules.”
“Like mother, like daughter.” Daniel scoffed.
“You always have something cocky to say, don’t you?” I asked, giving Daniel a dirty look. “Ctephanyi, can you tell me what’s so special about Snow?”
“If what you’re asking is if this animal is Cole reborn, then no, it’s not.” She smiled. “She was simply made for you.”
“What does that mean?” I asked confused.
“In about two days, she will be full grown. Though her teeth are sharp like razors, they are poisonous also. One nip could potentially kill you.”
Bending down, I hugged my white furry friend.
“She was made to love you, Angelina. Your mother took some of her love and put it into this little white beast.”
I sucked in my breath and tried to maintain my composure. “What a truly thoughtful gift.”
“Just because she can’t be here with you on Earth, doesn’t mean she can’t take care of you from up above,” my father said. His expression was full of love and admiration.
Clearing my throat, I picked up Snow and hugged her tight. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
He put his arm around me and squeezed. “We should get going.”
Snow licked his face. Apparently, she had been made to love him also.
“Lovely.” He laughed. “Poisonous puppy breath.”
I set Snow back down on the ground and admired her beauty. Ctephanyi was right, she had grown had least three sizes. I had been so wound up in everything that had been going on that I hadn’t even noticed. It was hard to believe she would be full grown two days from now. She was going to be beautiful and deadly.
Walking past Nicolai, I gave him a quick nudge and smirked. “You better not make her mad.” As if she could understand me, she looked up at Nicolai and let out a short growl.
He shook his head. “Funny.”
Snow snarled again and bared her sharp teeth.
He raised his hands in protest. “Okay, I get it,” he muttered.
I laughed.
“Oh, so now you’re coming at me, too?” he joked. “I can’t win.” Grabbing my hand, he pulled me a step closer to him. Instead of pulling away, I took another step forward. Smiling, we kissed each other.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.” I replied.
Side by side, the three of us headed deeper into the forest. We were an unstoppable team. Tristan stood no chance—at least that’s what I kept telling myself.
Chapter 17
Bad Dreams
We walked until dusk and then decided it was best to find a suitable place to set up camp. According to Daniel, we were only about half a day behind Tristan. I was curious how he knew that, but I didn’t like him enough to ask.
I threw a stick at Jeremiah. “Are you going to start that fire or what?”
He shrugged and threw the stick back at me. “What?”
I rolled my eyes. “Funny.”
“Funny looking, maybe,” my father joked.
We all laughed and settled in
to our makeshift campsite. We had traveled light, so we had to use what survival skills we knew. Nicolai was assigned food duty, while Daniel assigned himself to do nothing more than doze off against a tree. Snow curled up against my legs, snoring lightly. Jeremiah worked on building his “manly” fire, while my father lay on the ground and stared up at the stars that poked through the treetops. I imagined he was probably thinking about my mother.
“Hey, Angelina.”
“Yeah, Jeremiah?”
“Do you really think we’ll be able to stop him?”
Giving myself a moment to think, I answered simply. “Yes.”
He flung a twig into the bright, blazing fire. “How can you be so sure?” he asked.
“Well.” I pointed at the stars over our heads. “We won’t allow ourselves to fail. There are too many people up there we would disappoint.”
He continued throwing twigs and dried up moss bits into the fire. “What did Mathias tell you in your dream?”
Looking down at the bundle of white fur snuggled against my legs, I sighed. “He said I would have to make a choice.”
“What kind of choice?”
“One that will save the world,” I said.
“You can’t tell me?” he asked.
My eyes had begun to get heavy as the day had finally taken its toll on me. Scooting down, I used Snow as a warm pillow. “No, Jeremiah,” I said. “I won’t tell you.”
* * *
Smoke billowed out of the broken windows of the bed and breakfast. A faint cry for help could be heard from inside the burning structure as the flames licked the air. I looked around for help, but I was utterly alone. Taking a deep breath, I barged through the old worn door and threw my arms up to shield my face from the ash and smoke. I heard the cry again and made my way up the stairs, avoiding the hot flames that tried to kiss my delicate skin.
Crimson Moon: The Crimson Chronicles Book 2 Page 6