Moon Shimmers(97)

“My Lady of Twilight,” he whispered. “I am your servant.”

I lightly touched his head, stroking his hair. “And I accept your service.”

Then, as I turned, I saw Chase standing there and I knew why he had come. “And you, my friend.” Even as Venus had wept while he placed the stone around my neck, my heart echoed with sadness. I gazed into the detective’s eyes and he let out a choked sound.

“I-I can’t be. Can I?” He looked caught like Bambi in the headlights.

I reached out and traced his cheek with my fingers. “You will join my Knights. The amethyst seal belongs to you.” I could see it as clearly as though I were holding it—the seal belonged with Chase, and he would wear it and take his place among my Keraastar Knights.

“But I’m FBH—” he started to say.

“So was Benjamin. And Tam Lin, or at least he was at one time. You also have elf in your background, and you have taken the Nectar of Life. There’s no choice, my friend. This is your destiny—you’re going to be the leader of my Knights. When we return home, I will summon the dragons and have Vishana bring you the stone. You and your daughter will move out to Talamh Lonrach Oll and live in my Barrow.”

“What about my job? My life I’ve built?” But then he stopped short, and knelt beside Venus. “I know,” he whispered. “I think I’ve always known that something like this waited for me.”

I smiled then, suddenly feeling gleeful as a rush of joy began racing through me. The stone was softly pulsing against my heart and I gazed up at the ceiling, where the rippling lights spread out like the aurora against the horizon.

“Stand, my friends.”

They stood.

“Tell me, if I have to be queen of an army, who better to lead it than the two of you?” I looped my arms through theirs and—quite giddy—began to laugh. “We’ll take Shadow Wing down.”

Even as I spoke, I could see that I would form a powerful circle with my Knights, and the seals would be linked through the diamond so that we would all be stronger than the sum of our parts. I wasn’t clear on how yet, but it would come to me. The Keraastar Diamond was a living, sentient entity. In a flash of vision, I could see the Spirit Seal before it had been broken. It had been nine seals, all right, but they had all been linked at the center with the diamond I was wearing. That, no one ever spoke of when repeating the legend.

I was taking my place in history, as were Chase and Venus, as were Luke and Amber. And as would Tanne Baum and still others yet cloaked from my sight. Reeling from the diamond’s energy, I slowly began the ascent up the stairs to where the others were waiting. I was grateful I hadn’t realized until now just how deep this transformation was going to be. If I had, I might never have had the courage to go through with it.





THE OTHERS WERE waiting topside for us. As we emerged from the pit, Smoky stepped forward, then stopped, waiting for my cue. I swallowed hard. At least I still had my loves. And I would need them in the coming months.

I touched the diamond around my neck. “It’s done.” I didn’t want to tell them about Chase yet. That was his news to tell and the others would know soon enough. “We need to go home. I want to leave this mountain behind and never return.”

In fact, now that I had the diamond, the only thing I could think of was to get home and get away from this barren land. All the stress and strain from the trip was overwhelming me, and I couldn’t face another day of hard walking. Not with the shifts and changes going on. “Can you take us back to the monastery through the Ionyc Sea?”

Smoky considered the question, then nodded. “I know where it is, and I know where we are. I can take you two at a time.”

Bran cleared his throat. “I can go on my own.”

Smoky motioned for Delilah and me to join him. “I’ll take the two of you, then come back for Venus and Chase, then Shade.”

The giddiness vanishing as fast as it had come, I wearily leaned into his arms and closed my eyes. Delilah joined me, and—in the blink of an eye, or the expanse of a lifetime, depending on how you looked at it—we vanished from the cave and a deep sleep pulled me under.





I WOKE TO find myself in my bed, the comforter tucked over me. Delilah was sitting beside me, looking worried, and Smoky was standing behind her.

Struggling to sit up, I squinted, trying to figure out what time it was. “How long have I been asleep? Are we home?” For a brief moment, I felt very Dorothy-like. Was it all a dream? Had it been one long, extended potato-chip and chocolate-induced vision? Instinctively, I reached for my neck. There was the pendant. It was real, all right.