Moon Shimmers(96)

I stared at the black hole, knowing that once I placed my hand inside, anything could happen. But I reached in the crevice, sliding my hand into the inky blackness. I was prepared for something to grab me, or for some creepy-crawly to clamber up my arm.

The space inside the tree was cool and dry and shallow. And there, right below my fingers, was a smooth, icy stone. Taking hold of it, I withdrew my hand. In my palm, the size of a tangerine, rested a brilliant, round, faceted diamond set in platinum with a long chain, also made of platinum.

The light in the chamber hit the facets and set them blazing like a prism. I stared at the massive diamond. It must have been almost one hundred carats, and the energy was spinning off of it, reverberating through me, racing in rivers up my arm. I wanted to recognize this diamond, though I had never before laid eyes on it. But something inside wavered. Something was wrong. I held it out, shaking my head.

“No, this—this is wrong.”

“Put on the necklace, Camille Sepharial te Maria. Put it on now.”

Something wasn’t tracking. “Why the rush?”

“Don’t ask questions. You must put on the diamond now, or it can—and will—destroy you. You must wear the necklace.” The Guardian’s wings rippled, as she moved toward me. “Put it on. Now.”

I stared at the necklace. Everything felt so odd. I had thought there would be more…pomp and circumstance. More ritual. But instead, a winged faerie was pushing me to toss the diamond over my head before—wait.

The diamond began to slowly turn in my hand, moving on its own. At that moment, everything became clear. This wasn’t the Keraastar Diamond. As it began to edge toward my wrist, where it grabbed hold with the chain trying to slither up my arm like a snake, I threw it long and hard toward the other end of the pit, where it exploded in a puff of smoke.

“No. That’s not the Keraastar Diamond! Give me the real gem.” I turned to face the Guardian, hand out.

The Guardian backed away. “Read the incantation, if you have it.”

Of course—the Maharata-Verdi’s incantation that the monk had translated for me. I pulled it out and read it, my voice dancing over the Melosealfôr words.

The Guardian paused, looking hesitant. I tried again, using the ancient form, cautiously following the pronunciation guide Keth had prepared.

As soon as the last word left my mouth, the Guardian shifted form into a ball of blinding light. She flew up and out of sight. The tree began to shudder, quaking as though the earth rumbled beneath it. It let out a wheezing cry as it crystallized, then shattered into a thousand shards. I quickly dropped, covering my head so the glass wouldn’t slice into my face. A moment later, the cavern lit up as though it were filled with sunlight. Venus rushed forward, offering me his hand as I stood, Chase right behind him.

I slowly turned. Where the tree had been stood a simple dais, and on the dais sat a black velvet box about the size of a paperback. The pulsing heartbeat of the cave seemed to be concentrated within that box. I could feel it clearly now. Slowly, I reached out and picked up the case. The demons in the shadows began to fade.

Venus and Chase stepped up to flank my sides. I glanced at Venus and he nodded for me to go ahead. I sucked in a deep breath and slowly cracked open the lid, pushing it back. Inside the case, on a black velvet cushion, rested a diamond necklace. The stone was similar in size to the fake one, but this gem was a fantasy cut—with hundreds of facets making up the circular cabochon. Set in a black metal that I didn’t recognize, the pendant was on a velvet black ribbon.

Mesmerized by the stone, I lifted it out of the case, setting the box back on the dais. As I held it up, the energy resonating off the stone sang to me and I realized it was singing a song I knew in the core of my heart. I turned to Venus and handed him the pendant, then slowly knelt in front of the old shaman.

With tears in his eyes, he whispered, “I’m so sorry, Camille. I know what this will do to you—it’s a double-edged sword. It makes you the mistress, and yet, the slave.” And then, he placed the necklace around my neck.

As the stone touched my chest, the demons gave one last howl and then vanished forever from the cavern. I slowly reached up to finger the pendant and I knew in that moment, I’d never be able to remove it. For good or ill, I was the Queen of the Keraastar Knights, and I would wear the diamond until the day I died.





THERE ARE MOMENTS that define the rest of our lives. Crossroads in the path of destiny, as it were. As I stood, I wasn’t sure how I felt—there were changes going on, I could sense them, and yet this chapter would have to play out for a while before I knew what was going on. I sucked in a deep breath and forced a smile to my lips as Venus knelt before me.