The Blood Jewel (The Shomara Diaries Book 1)

by Carol M. Henderson

  Mom reached up and swiped her hand across my head. “Today, thanks to you, I have a thousand new grey hairs,” she said. Then she whispered, “Are you okay?” I nodded.

  Grams was another matter. She whirled on me and said, “You sure gave us all a scare, young man! Runnin’ out in front of a truck like a chicken with its head cut off. Totally brainless, I’d say.” She shook her head and looked over at Gramps. “Gotta admit, though. You come by it honestly. Your grandfather is the king of foolhardy doin’s. Tsk! I could write a book.”

  Then her head snapped up. “Say. I don’t believe I saw either you or Jenny with a plate of food. Sylvia, what did you do with all the food? These starving urchins need a sandwich to hold them together for the trip home.”

  Mom sighed. “Grams, all the food is already out in the car.” Yo. Mom, you look kinda droopy.

  Grandma ignored her. “I’ll bet these kids didn’t get any cake or ice cream either. Wherever have you been all day? In all my born days, I don’t remember any kin of mine being last in line for ice cream!”

  Uh-oh. Mom is gonna raise a stink.

  “Grams, let’s not take the food out again. It’ll spoil . . . .” Grandma stopped her mid-sentence.

  “Spoil, Schmoil, Sylvia. It’s November, for Pete’s sake. Besides, if you think you’re going to deprive me of the chance to feed my grandchildren at my own table, think again! I don’t want to hear another word from you!”

  Mom pulled her lips in and whirled away. I caught Jenny’s eye and wiggled my eyebrows. Grams handed us our sandwiches. We tucked into them without a word, neither daring to looking at the other for fear Mom would see our eyes dancing. Somehow, Mom had become a little girl again and Grandma had just pinned her ears back. It was too funny.

  Jenny leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Isn’t it fun to be spoiled by Grams?”

  “Yeah,” I whispered back, “But even more fun watchin’ Mom get so mad she turns purple.” Then I proceeded to mimic my mother’s pinched lips. Jenny smothered a snort.

  But then, something weird happened. As I was putting pepper on my sandwich—okay, I’m a pepper freak—Jenny exploded with a sneeze. But it was her choked out scream that made me look up.

  Standing three feet in front of us on the other side of the table was a giant spider, black as pitch. His legs were covered in hair but the hairs were like stiff black toothpicks. His huge, compound eyes, were the size of basketballs. He was standing on his back legs, waving his front legs and clawing . . . at Mom and Grandma!

  Then a giant hand reached down from out of nowhere and, with three huge fingers, flicked the huge critter through the wall. It disappeared.

  When she could finally speak, Jenny whispered, “What . . . was . . . that!” Her voice shook.

  “I have no idea.”

  Neither of us could swallow another bite after that. Even ice cream didn’t look good.

  “What’s the matter with you two?” Grandma demanded.

  “Nothin’ Grams,” I said. “Maybe we’re just trying to watch our waistlines like the rest of this family.”

  Grandma harrumphed.

  “Well, not everybody,” she said. “I’ve been workin’ fifty years to get that grandfather of yours to quiteatin’ so much ice cream. He can’t go to bed at night unless he’s had a great big bowl of the stuff.”

  Seeing that we were done, Mom shooed us to hurry. Jenny and I were so stunned by the spider we hardly noticed Grandma stuffing cookies into our pockets. A monster spider the size of a refrigerator . . . in Grandma and Grandpa’s house??

  Mom, of course, tired as she was, did not notice that we walked like robots, silent and staring straight ahead. She climbed in behind the wheel and waved. “Mom, Dad. Gotta go. It’s been a great day. Happy Birthday, again, Daddy!” she said. “You’re just as young as you always were!”

  Gramps was quick. “Oh, hog slop! Don’t say that too loud or I won’t be able to cash in on my Senior Citizen Discount. You’ll make me the laughing stock of my buddies. They’re taking me to Denny’s this Saturday.”

  Then he leaned over to me and said, “There are definite benefits to bein’ ‘over the hill’, ya know.” Then in a stage whisper he said, “Gotta have a few rewards or nobody will opt to live this long! Ha!” Grandpa slapped his knee at his own joke.

  When the family had all settled into the car, Gramps started in on his check list.

  “When was the last time that you had the oil changed, Sylvia?” and “Are your tires holding up okay?” and “You remember, don’t you, never to let the tank get too low on gas?”

  I held my breath. Now it was Gramps giving Mom the third degree.

  Is the spider going to show up again? I noticed that Jenny kept watching the open door behind Grandma.

  Mom listened and nodded. She didn’t seem as aggravated as she was with Grams. She knowsshe’s her daddy’s little girl. She also knows that, since Dad died, Gramps has been very protective. Mom headed him off at the pass like she knew what he was going to ask.

  “I’m way ahead of you, Dad,” she told him. “Just topped off the tank yesterday.” She blew him a kiss and started the car. Then she turned and winked at me with an I-told-you-so swagger.

  Jenny sighed.

  Gramps whacked the side of the car, his trademark sendoff.

  “Get on with ya, now, and don’t wait for birthdays to come over and see us. We don’t have that many of ‘em left, ya know!” We all pretended to chuckle and waved goodbye.

  The day was over.

  Jenny reached over and almost crushed my hand.

  CHAPTER 15: CONFERENCE IN THE CLOUDS

  “The chain of command in Shomara is composed of love links.” ~Martin Moonglow Meanwhile, the two keepers shot skyward to confer with the Great One. Entering the court, they bowed and called out as they went.

  “Oh Great One, we need your advice!” Then they waited. They knew they were heard, but they also knew that the Great One could postpone answering for eons. Today was different. He answered them immediately.

  “Hello, Amelia! And hello, again, Martin! What brings you here?

  “Your Majesty, we are here to report great demon activity in the city where our charges live,” said Amelia. “Even some prominent tyrants have shown up with their entire entourage.”

  The Great One listened.

  “I know all about it, my dear keepers. I suspect you’ve come with a request. What is it?”

  “Yes, Excellency. As usual, you always know everything,” said Martin. “We are wondering whether Jenny and Barry are in danger, and if we need additional forces to help us protect them. You have given these children spirit sight, so we know that you would not want them in harm’s way. We . . . .”

  But the Great One interrupted him.

  “When did you decide that I wouldn’t want them in harm’s way, as you put it?”

  “But, Your Majesty, they are just children! We . . . we only assumed that . . . .” began Amelia.

  “My dear keepers have no fear. You may call on extra protection anytime you want, but I will not allow anything to block the children experiencing what is real. They must know what is real, Amelia, and sometimes that means enduring some pain.”

  Martin began to sputter.

  “But Your Grace, Barry has already suffered some terrible wounds from a screwtail. He’s only a boy. Have you ever sanctioned this kind of advanced training for a human this young?”

  “No, I have not. You are right, Martin. This is an unusual move, but these are unusual times. The age is coming to a close, and these children must learn the meaning of Truth and learn it with all due haste. I have given them the ability to see the spirit world to speed up that process. In time you will know why I have done this.”

  The Majesty paused. Then he said, “Your keeper duties remain the same. Protect your charges from death, yes, but you will not be able to protect them from pain.”

  Martin and Amelia stared at each other, and the Great One chided them.
>
  “Oh, come now,” he said. “Do not tell me you cannot understand. It’s like parenting.”

  Again, Martin and Amelia looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

  “I realize that neither of you have ever been parents before,” the Majesty said. “However, I know you have watched thousands of human families over the centuries. Have you not observed that good parents teach their children how to handle pain? It’s a stepping stone to greatness. Having been a parent myself, I have to say it was the hardest job I ever did. Worth every minute, mind you, but still an excruciating experience.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. We remember what you went through,” said Amelia.

  The Majesty’s voice took on a cheerful note. “Do not fret my dear keepers! I am watching both you and your little ones. I already know you will do an exceptional job.”

  “Thank you, O Great One,” they answered in unison, and began bowing themselves out of the Great Hall. They had turned to leave when the Great One called them back.

  “One more thing, you two. I want you to warn the children that, under no circumstances, are they to give away their secret to anyone, not to any other humans, not to other keepers or spirit messengers, and most important of all, never to the evil ones. Right now, Barry and Jenny are incognito. The spirits do not know that they can be observed by them and I want it kept that way for now.”

  Again, Martin and Amelia, bowed low. “We understand, O Great Majesty.”

  As they sped earthward to escort the family car on the busy freeway, Martin was the first to break the silence. “I don’t know how you took that, Amelia, but I think we’re heading for a major showdown.”

  “Yes,” said Amelia, her voice gloomy. “And The Majesty has the children right in the middle of it.”

  CHAPTER 16: SLUMBER PARTIES

  “If you understand the Sky World, you know that you are never alone—ever. But whether you realize it or not, you actually do choose the company you keep.”

  ~Martin Moonglow Home. My feet felt like hundred pound weights. From the time I crawled out of bed this morning to the present, every waking moment had been non-stop confusion. My sister turned me into a super-sized tomato, a strange giant played catch with me a hundred feet above the ground. Then said giant shrank right before my eyes. Then it turned out it was not happening just to me. Jenny was seeing weird stuff too. The “giants” turned out to be keepers whose job it is to protect us. We even saw them in action when we witnessed our first sky battle. And none of that included Martin’s mind-boggling rescue when I stepped out in front of that truck this afternoon.

  Yeah. I’m tired but I couldn’t blame it on the cheesy party or all those senior citizens and their elevator music. My world had been turned upside down. My brain was a bowl of scrambled eggs. As I slogged up the stairs, I met my sister and Amelia. Jenny was chattering like her old self again and I couldn’t help eavesdropping.

  “I don’t have an extra bed for you to sleep in,” she was saying. “But I can sleep on the floor and you can have my bed if you like.”

  I snorted. “She’s gonna have to shrink several more inches to fit on that trundle bed of yours, Jenny girl.” Amelia laughed. Wahhoh! This lady keeper’s gown lights up when she laughs. Cool.

  “Jenny, I’m your keeper! I never sleep. In fact, I’m not even sure how it’s done. It’s my job to watch over you day and night. Your teddy bear and I have occupied the same corner of your room for years. He and I are good friends.”

  Jenny’s eyes flicked open. “Every night? You’ve been in my room every night of my life?” she asked.

  “Yes, Jenny dear!” Amelia said with a smile.

  “Oh yippy! Now we can talk all night. How fantastic. Barry, we each have a sleep-over friend every night from now on. This is going to be so awesome.”

  “Hold on there!” Martin whooped. “Let’s not get carried away,” he said with a laugh. I really dig his laugh.

  “Yes, not so fast, you two,” said Amelia. “Listen, as much as we want to talk with you as well—and there is nothing we would enjoy better—we happen to know that you require sleep. It would never do for you both to get sick on account of us. Now come here, Jenny.”

  Jenny looked puzzled as she stepped over to her keeper. Ameliaplaced her hands on either side of Jenny’s head, her thumbs on Jenny’s eyelids, and left them there for a moment.

  “I’ve done this almost every night of your little life, at just about this time, to help you get to sleep,” she said. “Feel tired yet?”

  To my surprise, Jenny’s head sagged into her keeper’s hands. Her head snapped up and she shook herself. “Weird. That’s the closest I’ve ever come to falling asleep on my feet. Barry, you should get Martin to do this for you. My eyelids feel like they’re coated with glue.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Rats! I had so many questions to ask you.”

  “Jenny,” Ameliasaid, “We have the rest of your life to talk. You get some sleep, and we’ll have a nice chat as soon as you wake up in the morning.”

  “Guess I’ll say g’night then, bro’. You too, Martin,” said Jenny, yawning again.

  “Goodnight, Jen,” I said, stifling my own yawn.

  “Have a good sleep, Miss Jenny,” said Martin.

  Amelia smiled and waved at us, then followed Jenny to her room.

  By this time, my arm was throbbing. I slipped into the little half bath close by my room. Dang! My arm has sure taken some flak today. It’s even more swollen than ever. As I tore the bandages away, washed the wounds and applied salve again, I had to grit my teeth to keep from howling. At last I had fresh bandages but my arm still ached. After brushing my teeth I slogged back to my bedroom.

  Martin was there . . . well, sort of. Get this. He sat crosslegged hovering six inches above my desk—and the whole upper part of his body was missing. I felt my hair stand up on end. All I could do was stare for five minutes.

  When my breathing returned to normal, I sat down on the edge of my bed to wait. I assumed that Martin would have to appear at some point. I had to talk to him even if I had to stay awake all night. Probably wouldn’t sleep anyway. My arm was killing me.

  But Martin did not reappear. It was maddening. Spirit sight. Hmph! I don’t know any more now than I did before. And now I get to schmooz with a headless body.

  The longer I waited, the grumpier I got. I started pacing back and forth. Every few minutes I kicked my wall. I even threw my pillow across the room.

  At last I went over and tapped Martin’s arm. His hand went up, palm out, like a stop signal. I jumped back. It was the first movement I’d seen in nearly an hour. Then both hands gave thumbs up signs and Martin made a full-bodied reappearance.

  “Hello, Master Barry,” he said. Then, all of a sudden . . . “No!”

  In a flash, Martin swept something over my head then bounded across the room. I reached up and felt a light filmy cover that I could not clear away. Through it, I could see Martin ripping around my room wiping the walls and ceiling. Every few moments he would act like he was throwing stuff. It was the oddest sight.

  At last he stood still in front of me, hands on his hips. He lifted the spidery film off me and said, “I thought you’d be fast asleep by now.”

  “Where have you been!” I asked, unable to hide how cranky I was. “I’m not tired. I mean, my arm hurts, and I’ve got a gazillion questions rattling around in my head.

  “Master Barry, you are obviously upset. What is your problem?”

  I tossed the hair out of my face. “I got mad cuz you were gone so long is all.”

  “’Is all’, you say!” shouted Martin, glaring down at me. “Well, for your information, whatever was going on here the last few minutes attracted demonactivity.”

  “I don’t get it. It didn’t see anything.”

  “I can’t explain why you couldn’t see it,” said Martin. “What I do know is that whatever was going on in your head either leaked out your mouth or had you acting out in anger. Devils cannot read minds but th
ey’re masters at watching actions. They’ve had centuries to figure out when humans are having evil thoughts. Just what were you doing?”

  Okay, so it’s hard to describe your own juvenile behavior when you think nobody is looking but I did my best. Really. Martin stood and listened, nodding his head. “Well, just so you know, I just cleared your room of a dozen beasties who were salivating over you. Barry, you must learn to control your thoughts.”

  “Uh . . . right,” I mumbled. “So what took you so long? I mean, I was waiting for an hour.”

  “I was just talking to the Great Prince, Barry,” said Martin. “This is all so new to me. I thought it best to check in with him to make sure I’m doing right by you. Imagine my dismay when I come back to find all these devils crawlingthe walls of your room!”

  “Um . . . sorry,” I said, clearing my throat. “So does that mean that you’re sometimes here and sometimes not here? I mean, I thought you were supposed to protect me.”

  “Barry,” Martin said, “I cannot protect you from making bad choices. I could have stood back and let you take the consequences of your stinkin’ thinkin’, as you humans put it, but today, I decided to let you off the hook. You’ve had a rough day.”

  “Thanks, I guess.” Then, I pushed ahead. “Hey, Martin. I was wondering. Can you . . . I mean . . . could you answer a few questions for me?”

  Martin smiled. Whew! I’ll take his smile any day to one of his glares. He put his hand on my shoulder, and settled me back onto my pillow. “Master Barry, like Amelia told Jenny, we have the rest of your life to talk. But right now, your questions will have to wait. You need sleep.”

  “Blast it all,” I muttered. I switched off the lamp by my bed.

  What the . . . ? I looked over at Martin. In the dark he lit up like a sunlamp. My room had the brilliance of midday.

  “Uh, Martin, is there any way you can turn off that glowworm thing you do?” I asked. “I mean, we mortals like to sleep in a

  dark room.”

  “Glow worm . . . ? Oh-h-h, our sky lighting? Of course,