The Secrets of Moonshine

by Denise Daisy

  Falcon’s voice took on an intensity that caused Bronwyn to open her eyes once again. “He promoted himself and his ideas among the people. He extolled himself higher than the Princes, betraying and assassinating his best friend, Ariston, the eldest of the three ruling Princes. And, for the first time, blood was spilled in Eden. This wicked Baron spoke lies to the people, tainting Ariston’s character, making untrue charges and accusations against all three Princes. Unfortunately, he happened to be a very well-liked and popular man, so his worthless promises, words, and ideals seemed intriguing to many. Our world became divided. His selfish ambition produced nothing but chaos and dissension. A war broke out, and many good people lost their lives. The tumult was so magnificent that the balance of our world was ripped open, creating a portal into this one. Upon this opening, the wicked ruler exiled all the heirs of the royal city Eden, to this earth. It was a death sentence, barring them from the tree of life. Thousands fled, and have been living here in your dimension for years, waiting for the time when they could return to Eden. The remaining peoples of our earth, who were not citizens of Eden, were forced to become followers of the destroyer and his new ways. If they refused, they were immediately executed.” Falcon lit another cigarette and leaned back into his chaise, allowing Barak to take over the story again.

  “Three prophecies were given to us by the virtuous realm. The first one stated that one day a scribe would emerge, and write a story that would exonerate the character of our Princes, against the false charges of the destroyer. This story will validate something very important to all the inhabitants of our world and beyond. This story, once written, will allow us to reclaim our world and our way of life. What the writer writes will happen.”

  “See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare, before they spring into being. I announce them to you.”

  “Isaiah 42:9,” Bronwyn whispered.

  There was complete silence. All council members were relieved that the story was out; the story they had contained within themselves since their exile.

  Bronwyn attempted to wrap her mind around the entire thing--a futile effort.

  “So you believe I am the writer?”

  “We know you are the writer” Barak said. “You fulfilled the prophecy to the very letter. You are the one who wrote of Moonshine, causing it to come to be, calling us to dwell here, providing us a safe place of refuge while we wait.”

  “But I thought you said the people were sent here in exile, so how did I bring you here?”

  Many of the royal families of Eden were exiled to earth through the portal, a few of us were held back, pending execution. When you wrote of us, you called us through the portal to Moonshine, and for that we will be forever grateful.”

  She scanned their faces. “How many of you roam the earth?”

  “Too many to count,” he admitted sadly. “Literally thousands were sent over. Unfortunately the longer they exist on earth, the more their memory of their former life becomes erased. Most eventually die having no recollection of Eden. Only those who reside in Moonshine and the other safe havens still remember.”

  “There are other towns?” She asked.

  “Yes. Some are hidden ranches and villas, much like the Citadel here. We call them towers of refuge. As long as our people dwell there, then they are kept safe.”

  “Are they allowed to leave?”

  “Only for short periods of time. After two weeks, they begin to forget who they are, and if that happens, then they do not eat from the tree of life, so they die.”

  She knew it! The tree of life was here, and that is what the cloaked men were guarding. “So the tree of life is here somewhere in Moonshine?”

  Barak’s smile answered her question.

  She nodded, affirming his answer but somehow felt the council feared she wasn’t grasping any of the magnitude of what Barak had just said.

  “So you say I fulfilled your prophecy by coming here. If so, then what’s next?”

  “You start writing.” Falcon sounded demanding.

  “What lies ahead is the quest of a lifetime,” Adam said tenderly.

  “You will receive inspiration, write, and things will take place, allowing us to return to Eden. We do not know the way. Only you do. You will be our guide.”

  She felt a heaviness fall upon her shoulders. The heat sensation was replaced by a cold chill. Her teeth began to chatter.

  “You mentioned being governed by three brothers. You said one was murdered. Where are the other two brothers, the remaining Princes of Eden?”

  Again the council grew quiet, an aching silence, deep remorse and sadness spread through their faces. “Sadly, Ariston wasn’t the only Prince who lost his life. We lost another one as well,” Barak said. “There is only one Prince of Eden remaining. Prince Asa.”

  “Where is he?”

  Barak smiled. “He resides in Moonshine, and he is here among us tonight. You know him as Travis.”

  Her eyes immediately cut over to Travis. His dark eyes looked back; there was helplessness in them that confirmed his need for her. Her body grew numb, her mouth speechless, her stomach in knots, her heart aching more than ever.

  “Maybe I’m not the one,” she said shaking her head. “I don’t begin to know where to start writing. I’ve had severe writer’s block for some time now. I can’t even produce a simple sappy re-write. On top of that, I know nothing about your world. How could I ever be expected to expose the false charges of this wicked baron, defeat him, and return Travis to the throne?”

  Barak smiled. “The story is in you Bronwyn, it is a part of your soul. That is where it has been buried for years. You know the story. You’ve known it your entire life.”

  She sighed. “Why can’t you just go back through the portal yourselves?”

  “It has been closed for many years. It closed when you stopped writing your story. However, when you fulfilled the prophecy by returning to Moonshine, the portal was re-opened. Unfortunately, we do not control it. Abaddon does. He possesses the key, which is the first prophecy.”

  Her head continued to swim as thoughts raced across her mind. “You said there were three prophesies. What do the other two say?”

  “Unfortunately, we do not know that either,” Barak confessed. “No one has ever seen them. They are veiled from us. We believe the second prophecy may be hidden in your original manuscript.”

  Travis had remained silent for most of the meeting. Not now. “We must warn you that writing the story will be extremely dangerous. Our enemies do not want it written; neither does the dark realm. They will be defeated if it is. Once you begin to write, adversaries will come looking for you. Their solitary goal is your destruction. The storm that hit your first night was one you wouldn’t have been able to track on the weather radar. The portal was re-opened. Spies were sent. Once they find you, they will kill you. Your life will never be the same again.”

  This time she heard him in an entirely different light. He was no longer the soothing voice in the cabin, garden, waterfall or lake. No wonder he always spoke with such wisdom and authority. He was royalty, a Prince, once ruler of an entire world.

  She grew frightened as she realized the severity of his words, the night he caught her under the tree - be quiet or they will find you.

  Falcon noticed the distress on her face. “Not to worry, lady scribe, that’s where I come into play. I will be your personal body guard, your secret service, so to speak. I will give my very life to save yours.”

  His declaration took her off guard. The distrust she felt for him earlier began to dissipate. He was nothing more than a rebel rogue, a fighter for a world and way of life stolen from him. He was a bit unorthodox, but the ultimate in passion for his cause. I will give my very life to save yours.

  “That’s why we danced so close the other night.” He explained, flashing his impish grin. “They were searching for you, asking questions. The fat man in your group pointed you out. I shielded you and hid your face, so they
couldn’t identify you. But not to worry, my lady scribe, as far as those spies are concerned; Travis and I disposed of them. You saw the last one lose his life in the garden.”

  She sat in silence, dumbstruck. The victim did say they will find the scribe and destroy them. Fear began rising within her. He and Travis actually killed someone to protect her. Her stomach knotted. She was finished talking. She didn’t want to hear any more. She longed to lay down somewhere and bury her head under a soft blanket and sleep for hours.

  “One last warning,” Barak said. Her heart sank even further, if that were possible. “There is another enemy at work that will keep the book from being written.”

  She sighed. If there hadn’t been enough at play here. Now she had to hear of yet another enemy. “The enemy is you.” He said it resolute, yet kind. “As I mentioned before, the longer our people reside on this earth, the more they lose the memory of who they are. They forget about home. The same can happen to you. If you leave Moonshine, you can once again be caught up in the mundane routine of life. You can easily forget Moonshine and everything that has happened here, and avoid your true calling. Days will turn to weeks, and weeks to months, months to years. Soon all will be lost. The enemy knows this, and can conquer you by distractions.”

  “Be certain of who you allow in your life,” Falcon continued. “You will not always be able to discern the trustworthy from the enemy. You could very well befriend the adversary, unaware that their only intention is to stop and destroy you.”

  Barak stood, and offered Bronwyn his hand as he bowed slightly. “Think on all these things that have been spoken to you.”

  Content that the council’s work was done for now, Barak suggested that Bronwyn retreat to the room for a few hours of sleep before heading back to Sandalwood Inn. She didn’t object. She was exhausted, her mind full. She needed to withdraw to a quiet place, where she could meditate on all that had been said to her.

  Barak graciously escorted her back to her room. “Sleep well, my dear Bronwyn. In a few hours you will be escorted back to the inn. You must return before sunrise, to dispel any questions or suspicions.”

  He smiled and closed the beautifully ornate door behind him as he left.

  She undressed and climbed under the silk covers, extinguishing the small lamp on the bedside table. The room remained filled with the glow of the moonlight filtering through the glass doors. She lay there, sinking deep into the feather mattress, the silk coverings feeling heavenly against her bare skin. She stared at the ceiling, listening to the low murmurs of Barak and the council, continuing their meeting outside. She somewhat hoped to fall asleep and wake up back at the Inn, realizing the whole thing had been a dream. She could imagine re-telling the events to Bethany and Lillian as the most bizarre, insane dream she had ever dreamt. She sighed, realizing she could never breathe a word of this to either of them. She knew she would more than likely have a lot of explaining to do in the morning. Bethany was a light sleeper, and certain to notice she had been out again all night. Bethany would profess without a doubt that she and Travis were having “escapades,” as she so often called it.

  Her heart fell. For the entire week, she allowed the girls to convince her that Travis, with all the time and attention he devoted to her, was somewhat romantically interested. Now she realized the entire reason for his concern. He was only protecting his interest in the whole equation. She was his gateway back to Eden, and as a Prince of Eden, it was his duty to protect that passage. His heart did only belong to Mavis. That is why he never took an opportunity or made an advance when they were alone together. Even the kiss under the tree was nothing more than a tender gift. She and Travis were literally from two different worlds, and he was not interested in her in any romantic way.

  A tear escaped her eye, finding its way down her cheek, rolling onto the silk satin pillow case. She’d never felt more alone. She desperately missed Ryan and the normalcy of what they once shared. Another tear slid silently from her eye, onto the pillow that cradled her head. Her eyes became heavy and she soon fell asleep.

  Falcon entered her room. A small amount of moonlight streamed across her bed, giving light to her ivory skin, as she lay sleeping. A smile moved the corner of his lips. He picked up her discarded clothes from the floor and tossed them onto the bed.

  “Scribe,” he whispered. “It’s time to head back.”

  She stirred but remained asleep, spellbound in the comfort of her bed.

  “Scribe.” This time he was much louder.

  Opening her eyes, she groaned at the sight of him.

  “Good morning to you too,” he said sarcastically. “Get dressed. It’s time to head back.”

  Making sure the covers were pulled high enough to cover her nakedness, she reached for her clothes. “Turn around!” she demanded, before rising to a sitting position. Falcon laughed lightly as he turned his body to face the opposite direction.

  “Why don’t you wait outside the door?” she suggested.

  “You must begin trusting me, scribe. You’re going to be seeing a lot of me.” He opened the door and gave the command, “three minutes,” before leaving the room.

  She dressed quickly, her body shivering from the coolness of her chamber. Heaviness invaded her with the realization that last night’s events had not been a dream.

  She joined Falcon. Together they headed outside into the damp darkness of the early morning. He led her back through the hedge maze, effortlessly, knowing every turn to take, navigating just as expertly as Barak the night before. They reached the line of trees, walked through the leafy tunnel, and arrived at the white sandy shore-line.

  Approaching the lake, Bronwyn noticed Adam and Travis waiting beside the gondola. She was relieved to see them, pleased she wouldn’t be taking the thirty-minute boat ride alone with Falcon.

  Adam offered her his hand, helping her into the vessel. “Were you able to get some rest?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she managed to smile. “I did sleep well, thank you.”

  He returned her smile. “Good to hear it.”

  He did seem princely. She smiled at the thought of what Lillian would say if she met Adam. He was strikingly handsome, not to mention royalty.

  Travis remained silent, offering no greeting as she and Falcon arrived at the water. Her heart ached over it. “Just as well,” she thought.

  She shivered in the early morning air, as a gentle wind blew across the water. She pulled her bare legs up into the seat, attempting to curl them underneath her for added warmth. Noticing her discomfort, Travis removed a blanket stored in the compartment below and draped it over her shoulders.

  Their eyes met briefly. “Thank you,” she muttered softly then looked away.

  Falcon steered the vessel across the still lake. All the while, his eyes searched the waters, watching for anything that would threaten his passengers. They glided along in silence, the only sound was the oar quietly cutting into the water. The tranquility of the early morning ride caused her eyes to grow heavy. She shifted in her seat fighting the drowsiness, but the comfort of her blanket, and the gentle swaying of the boat rocked her to sleep. She was just dozing off when the short, harsh cry of a nighthawk ripped through the silence. Had she been alone she would have thought nothing of the bird call, but when Falcon cupped his hand to his mouth and sent back a series of convincing whippoorwill cries, she knew otherwise. Within a matter of seconds the call was returned. As usual, no one offered her any information, and no words were exchanged among the men. Yet, when all three smiled at once she could tell they were communicating in some way. Her heart dropped, hoping that they were not able to read minds. If that was the case, then Travis knew every thought she had about him. The assumption made her sick.

  “How do you do that?” Her sleepy voice broke the silence. “How are you communicating with each other? Can you read minds?”

  Falcon cocked an eyebrow and grinned; but it was Adam that put her mind to rest.

  “We can read minds, but
only if the other person allows it. We call on each other through meditation, much like you do when you pray. When the other person responds to the beckoning, we exchange information with our thoughts.”

  She was intrigued. “Then why the bird calls?”

  Falcon grinned and again Adam answered.

  “Because, Falcon has been talking to Travis the entire ride, and their conversation cannot be interrupted.”

  His answer annoyed her although she tried not to show it. If she was expected to fulfill the prophecy and write their story of redemption, then it might be nice to be let in on what was going on. The time of confidentiality should be over, and the fact that they continued to hold secrets caused her to distrust. She hadn’t agreed to write their story and even if she wanted to, she doubted she could. How can you write about something you know nothing about? Even more, how can you learn if others refuse to inform you? A flame of anger ignited inside her. As soon as the bus was repaired, she was boarding and leaving this place and never giving it another thought.

  Once they arrived at the opposite shoreline, Falcon grabbed a torch and led the way into the mouth of the cave. The descent seemed a bit more treacherous in this direction. As Bronwyn recalled, there had been several different levels of boulders upon which Barak had actually lifted her. Falcon led, jumping from the first one. His movements in the dimly lit cave resembled those of a mountain lion. He jumped the great distance with little effort, landing lightly on his feet. Adam also gracefully descended the lower levels, always landing noiselessly on his feet, exuding minimal effort. Travis followed suit. Same prowess, same result. Without hesitation he turned back and raised his arms high, offering his help to Bronwyn.

  She wanted to descend to the lower levels as the men had, and was almost certain she could make it. However, she feared she might slip on the muddy surface, landing hard on her face, possibly breaking a bone, and then needing to be carried the rest of the way. To save herself from extreme embarrassment, she decided to take Travis’s offer. He placed his hands firmly around her wrist, and with amazing strength and control, he lifted her into the air and then steadily sat her on the ground below. This act was repeated seven more times as their trail descended deeper underground.