The Eye of Elektron: A Clean Urban Fantasy (The Sumrectian Series Book 1)

by Leigh G. Wynn

  “So, the fight is over? All over?”

  “It’s over.” He smiled at her. “Thanks to you and your stubborn refusal to do anything I ask.”

  ✽✽✽

  An explosion of applause greeted Dawn when she stepped out of the Morvyann. Ansel’s Sumrects dashed up to the mammoth machine, clapping wildly.

  “Well done!” Lorenzo dragged her away from Ansel. “I must congratulate you. That was exceptionally brave!”

  A Sumrect limped to her and extended a hand.

  “Nico,” she said, shaking his hand, “are you okay?”

  He grinned from ear to ear despite looking like he just barely survived a wrestling match. “A few broken bones here and there, but nothing a bit of Sumrectian magic can’t fix! Thank you for saving us all.”

  Dawn did not have a chance to reply before she was thrown into embrace after embrace. Sumrects slapped her on the back, shook her hand and offered their congratulatory remarks while the entire time, she remained in a state of shock, not fully grasping the magnitude of what she had accomplished.

  “That was you?!” A familiar face flashed into view. “Never knew you had it in you!”

  “Kai!” She exclaimed as he gave her a rough bear hug.

  Behind him stood a young, handsome, dark-haired man she had never seen before and a woman with gripping green eyes.

  “Gail?! But I thought Vance had you killed!” Dawn rubbed her eyes in disbelief once Kai released her.

  Gail took Dawn’s hands in both of hers. “We just came from Crimson. I have Myles to thank for rescuing me from captivity… And of course, Ansel for being so quick to send help.”

  Dawn had not noticed Ansel, who now took a giant step forward and raised his voice above the chatter. “Glad both of you made it back safely. Thank you, Myles. I’m indebted to you.”

  Myles ran a hand through his dark hair, dismissing Ansel’s gratitude. “No need to thank me. Part of my job is to do your bidding, Ansel.” He glanced at Dawn, and when their eyes met, he winked. “So, this is Dawn. Beauty and brawn. No wonder you got everybody chasing you around.”

  She looked down at her feet. “Very funny. Nice to meet you too.”

  They shook hands.

  She wondered what job Myles was referring to. Is he a resistance worker like Gail?

  Then, trying to be as discreet as possible, Myles made his way to Ansel. He pulled from his pocket a small, purple velvet box engraved with golden words that were too small for her to see. Ansel seemed to recognize the box because he tensed up at once and pushed Myles’s hand back. Cautiously and purposefully, he repositioned himself so that Dawn could no longer see the box.

  “I found this in his house.” She heard Myles mutter.

  “Put it away,” said Ansel in a low voice.

  “I thought you would want to hold on to it.”

  “It’s safer with you than with me. I trust you.”

  Though his tone contained more threat than trust.

  “As you know very well already,” Ansel reminded, “do not reveal its contents to anyone.”

  Myles slid the box back into his jeans. “No, sir.”

  It was good he did so quickly because at that moment, Blair and Delia joined the group. Delia was beside herself as she engulfed Dawn in a lung-crushing embrace. “Young lady, what were you thinking? Running into the Morvyann like that?”

  Dawn could hardly breathe. “Delia… I’m fine!”

  “Are you sure you are okay? Did the Morvs get you? You scared us to death!”

  “Really, Delia… I’m fine… although a little air would help…”

  “Oh, sorry sweetie!” Delia let go immediately.

  While Dawn took in huge gulps of air, she noticed Blair, who, unlike the others, displayed no trace of joy.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t get yourself killed.” Blair snorted. “Luck must’ve been on your side.”

  “Bravery and intelligence, yes. But luck had nothing to do with it,” Ansel replied coolly. He gave Dawn’s arm a reassuring squeeze, leaving Blair offended and open-mouthed, at a loss for words.

  Several younger Sumrects skipped up to Ansel and offered their congratulations to Dawn when they saw her. One with a mop of red hair and a sprinkle of freckles across his nose asked, “I hear there’ll be a party tonight at Chesterfield. Is that true?”

  Kai responded before Ansel could say no, “Yes! Spread the word! We are celebrating everyone not getting their sorry behinds killed!”

  “Sweet!”

  “I’ve never been to Chesterfield before! This is going to be awesome. Ansel, you are the best!” The group ran off to tell their friends. Kai responded to Ansel’s stare with a sheepish smile.

  “This was your idea?”

  Kai shuffled to Delia’s side. “Actually, let me give credit where credit is due. It was Delia’s idea first.”

  “After recent events, it would be nice for us all to get together and have some fun. Relax a bit. Wouldn’t it? You don’t have to worry about a thing. Kai and I are hosting,” the old Sumrect said.

  Ansel nudged Dawn. “Might not be such a bad idea. What do you think?”

  Parties. Crowds. She was not fond of either. “Uh, I’ll probably just end up keeping to myself, but it is a gracious gesture to all who’ve helped.”

  An honest response.

  “Oh, come on, stop being so uptight.” Kai rolled his eyes.

  “I’ll keep you company,” Ansel whispered in her ear, and suddenly, Dawn realized how much she enjoyed hearing his voice.

  ✽✽✽

  Later that afternoon, while Delia and the Chesterfield staff prepared for a night of celebration, Kai dragged Dawn to an isolated stone hallway on the south side of the estate.

  “I did a bit of detective work at Brighton’s old house this morning,” he told her in a hush voice as if afraid someone would hear.

  “You weren’t supposed to do that!”

  “Don’t say anything to Delia or Ansel. I promise it’s for a good cause,” he countered. “You wouldn’t believe what I found on the back of the painting—you know, of that same girl in Ansel’s study.” With an expression of triumph, he reached inside his breast pocket and removed a crumpled piece of paper.

  “Looks like Basil Brighton was aware of the Etherian spell way before we were.” He smoothed the crumpled paper against his chest before handing it to her.

  “You found the spell at Brighton’s…?”

  Though she disapproved of Kai’s earlier escapade, Dawn could not hide her intrigue as she read the spell Kai had scribbled down.

  When soul and soulless are entwined,

  No Sumrect can escape the bind.

  Power for soul, a trade most fair,

  Two fates reversed for those who dare.

  Lord of Water, Earth he conquers,

  Destroys what his foe most treasures,

  And catches the Eye of New Light,

  In Fire finds life, in Air, his might.

  Sovereign of all forces combined,

  By nothing flesh is he confined.

  The wrongs for which he must atone,

  Absolved in whole for him alone.

  “It’s missing the last stanza. Ansel wrote the spell on the back of Amber’s portrait, but the entire bottom was covered with bullet holes.”

  Dawn glanced up to meet Kai’s eager eyes. “What do you suppose this means?”

  He took several deep breaths. “Listen. I have a theory.” He pointed to the second stanza. “Here you have the four elements: water, earth, fire and air. We already know Ansel found life—my life—in the fire, and he can manipulate water like no other Sumrect, which makes him lord of water.”

  “And the Eye of New Light… you don’t suppose the spell is referring to—”

  “You, Dawn! Who else? You sure catch on quick!”

  “But what about ‘Destroys what his foe most treasures?’”

  Kai frowned and scratched his head. “I’m not too sure about that line… although
don’t you think Vance has destroyed everything Ansel holds dear?”

  “Yes, but who are we talking about here, anyway? Vance or Ansel?” Dawn reread the spell again. Something did not add up.

  “Well, I think the spell refers to them both,” he responded with an air of mystery, the glee in his voice hard to mask. “Vance has conquered Earth, our home reality. Ansel finds his might in air because he’s the only Sumrect we know aside from Delia who can really fly.”

  “And Vance has control of the Morvyanns, which are killing machines that reside in water!” she added.

  “Exactly. Do you see what I mean now? It’s as if these are requirements that need to be fulfilled or something. Both Vance and Ansel are working hard to meet them.”

  “The third stanza says”—she pointed at the crimpled paper—“‘Sovereign of all forces combined, by nothing flesh is he confined.’ That must be the outcome should either Ansel or Vance satisfy the conditions of the second stanza.”

  “The second stanza plus part of the first,” he corrected. “‘Power for soul, a trade most fair… Two fates reversed for those who dare.’ Which two fates? Whose soul?”

  “And what wrongs are absolved should the spell be completed?” she asked, stumped by the rest of the spell. Trying to decipher Etherian words was like swimming in murky water; she could never be sure if she was heading in the right direction.

  “Either way, looks like Ansel is one step ahead of Vance because he has got the ‘Eye of New Light’ right here at Chesterfield. Vance would have a hard time capturing you with his brother in the way.”

  “I suppose…” Dawn shuffled her feet. She thought about Quinn’s message earlier and Henry’s current quandary. I need to figure out a plan by tonight. Though she felt a surge of guilt at the thought of going against Ansel’s wish, she knew she had no other choice.

  “Hey! What are you two doing here?” A loud voice echoed down the stone hallway, startling them both. Warm blood rushed to her cheeks while Kai swiftly hid the spell behind his back.

  At the end of the hallway, partially blocking the radiant afternoon sun, a tall, pony-tailed figure appeared.

  “Up to no good, I see!” He walked forward with a spring in his step. “Delia had me looking all over the grounds for you two. Good thing I decided to check the south wing,” Myles said, gradually coming into focus. He sounded amused instead of angry. Dawn breathed out a sigh of relief and exchanged a meaningful look with Kai.

  “Glad you found us then,” he said. “I was just showing Dawn around. She hasn’t seen much of Chesterfield yet.”

  Myles came to a stop in front of Kai. He noted the hand Kai kept behind his back before he shifted his gaze to a red-cheeked Dawn. She could see Myles adding two and two together.

  “I found Kai snooping around the Brightons’ this morning while you were fighting the Morvyanns,” Myles said. “I bet he was sharing his latest findings with you, wasn’t he?”

  Laughing nervously, Kai pocketed the spell with one hand and scratched his head with the other. “Come on, Myles, don’t tell me you haven’t tried to decipher the meaning of that Etherian spell. We just want to help Ansel defeat Vance.” He jumped onto a stone ledge.

  “Sure, I have, but I also know Etherian words are notorious for being ambiguous and tricky to interpret. To understand their meaning completely is a futile endeavor.”

  Kai shrugged as he balanced himself on one foot. “Doesn’t hurt to try, though. Say Myles, you saw the photos, didn’t you? Has Ansel ever mentioned to you that Amber was Basil’s sister-in-law? Is that why he has been so protective of them all these years?”

  “Yes, I did happen to see the photos,” Myles said tersely.

  Amber? A relative of the Brightons? Dawn remembered the night when Quinn first came to Chesterfield in search of Ovra Brighton, convinced that she was the bringer of new light, which, considering this latest discovery, did not seem so farfetched after all. If Amber indeed was related to the Brightons, then it made sense to believe one of her blood descendants could reignite the Eye of Elektron.

  However, Dawn also recalled Ansel clearly stating, when he first introduced Amber to the Eye in the rotunda, that Amber would be the only soul capable of accessing the Source. Even Ansel himself believed Ovra Brighton would never be the bringer of new light. Unless… Dawn’s heart began to race… Could it be?

  Myles interrupted before she could pursue the thought further. “Let’s go. We can talk about all this later. Delia needs our help to set up tents on the grounds. Looks like we’re expecting a large crowd tonight!”

  ✽✽✽

  The silver rock in Regina’s hand dated back to the tenth year of the Lion. Morning sunlight bathed the circular room in a golden hue—just as it did in the past she held. With a deep breath, she tapped the rock three times and said, “Acktum Inktus Leus.”

  She allowed the silver rock to transport her to a day she relived often. Energy prickled her arms. How ironic her fondest memory was also one that would torment Ansel for years to come.

  It was summer. He had just returned to Chesterfield for a brief visit after leading an army in war-torn Panatomius for the two months prior. Both she and Vance had been instructed to remain on Earth, and she bemoaned not being by Ansel’s side as he made history. Her heart pounded in the same way it did the day she snuck off to Chesterfield on her own. She was much more naïve back then, much more impulsive, and the towering wall of secrets that now alienated her and Ansel had not yet been erected by betrayal.

  Present-day Regina gave a bitter scoff. How delusional she had been.

  There they were, fifteen years younger, standing on the bridge next to the grotto in the morning sun.

  “Delia said you didn’t want to go back. Why? So you can stay with Amber at Chesterfield?”

  “She’s with child, Regina,” Ansel said without meeting her eyes.

  Regina paused. Perhaps she spoke too harshly. Perhaps she should have adopted a gentler, less accusatory tone. But she was irritated—infuriated even—by his selfishness, a quality she never thought she would witness in her Ansel. Since the first time she laid eyes on him in battle, she knew his greatness was guaranteed if he would only choose his Sumrects over his own desires and pursuits. As the rightful heir of Panatomius, he had every privilege except the right to live for himself alone. The fate of Panatomius depended on him, and he was going to throw it away for a human girl?

  “You are not going to stay, do you hear me, Ansel Cassadian? You are going to return tomorrow, to Panatomius, and finish what you started. Amber needs you, but what about the thousands of Sumrects in Panatomius? You are responsible for them.”

  She tapped him on the shoulder and said in a gentler voice, “Look at me.”

  He did as he was told, which surprised her.

  “Amber is going to be okay. Delia will be here. I will be here. And Vance will watch over the residents in Fors.”

  Still no response. He merely looked at her, lost in thought.

  “Will you please say something? Are you mad at me? If so, throw a fit, scream, do anything. You scare me looking like that.” Regina was both frustrated and concerned.

  Finally, as though waking from a deep slumber, Ansel mumbled, “I’m not mad, Regina. I’m only grateful to you.”

  She let out a big sigh of relief as she wrapped her arms around him. Again, she was surprised he allowed it.

  “You are right, I must go back… I trust you.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to her.”

  Then he hugged her.

  She froze, her heart pounding loudly against his. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of wood and spices that was so distinctively his. She wished he would never let go.

  “Thank you, Regina, thank you… I won’t ever forget what you have done for me.”

  Regina held on to him, trying to memorize as much of this moment as possible. “I promise nothing will happen to her.”

  The older Regina sighed when the m
emory began to fade away. It was true that Ansel never forgot what she did for him. But despite how hard she tried, she could not keep her promise.

  Chapter 15

  Back at Chesterfield, a wild night of celebration had begun. While the household busied themselves with party preparations earlier that afternoon, Dawn planned her escape. She knew the longer she remained at Chesterfield, the more danger Henry faced. Even though Ansel and Delia kept an extremely strict watch over her, the party would provide enough distractions for her to slip away. At least, she hoped so.

  I must leave tonight, she told herself.

  While Ansel was out cleaning the beach with Lorenzo, and Delia was readying the house for guests, Dawn sent Quinn her plans through the Nert. Five minutes before the first guests rang the doorbell, the Nert alerted her to a reply from Quinn.

  “Rosewood Alley. After dark. Look for a tinted black glider. I’ll be waiting.”

  ✽✽✽

  Finally, at around nine o’clock, when Dawn could hear the celebration in full swing, she left her room and made her way downstairs, the Eye of Elektron heavy in her burlap pants. Music hummed in the background. Bass notes pulsed through the air. A cheering crowd had formed around two young Sumrects engaged in a friendly match. They flung themselves against one another repeatedly, sometimes brandishing crackling balls of electricity while other times shielding in colored cocoons. Kai and Myles were among the absorbed onlookers. Careful to stay out of their sight, Dawn crept along the wall and inched her way through the back of the crowd.

  The cheering rose to a feverish pitch as the fight reached a climatic finish. Then, a moment of heightened stillness hung in the air before the crowd erupted with chants of the winner’s name, Malik. From the back, Dawn could not see a thing and only heard Malik’s thunderous bellow of, “Who’s next?”

  She did not wait to find out. There were more important matters to attend to, and she was certainly in no mood for more fights when her entire morning had been packed with them.

  Loud chatter filled each room she entered. Thankfully, like herself, neither Delia nor Ansel mingled with the guests. Ansel made her promise him to remain inside Chesterfield and stay close to Kai and Myles; he doubted Quinn had given up on his mission to get a hold of her this early in the game, especially after such few and feeble attempts. Dawn felt awful for breaking Ansel’s trust, especially knowing how vigilant a watch Ansel had placed on her since her rescue from Crimson.