The Moonstone (Enchantment Book 1) (39 page)

“You see, Lou, my father was an alchemist. They’re the protected descendants of Hermes, Aaron’s father. The core principle of alchemy is to achieve absolute purity, the philosopher’s stone that would change matter into pure gold, into pure matter. But a small group of them were close to Hermes and wanted the power of the Gods to return balance to the earth so that humans could become equal to enchanters. When the Gods hid the Emerald Tablet to control the power Hermes wanted to bestow on us, all the work of the ancient alchemists was lost. From generation to generation we’ve tried to find someone who could give us back our birthright. One day, enchanters killed my parents because they had discovered the location of all your secret cities. The Council, along with the other alchemists, assassinated them in cold blood. They didn’t yet know of my existence and that I knew the whole story.

A short time before my parent’s death, Aaron discovered me; he had heard people talking about us. He searched for the society his father had created. Sadly for him, when they left Earth, the Gods had taken his memory with them because of his father’s betrayal. It was only a couple of years ago that he got his memory back, which is a sign that the prophecy about the Emerald Tablet is correct and that we are on the verge of finding it. Aaron has been a father, a brother and a friend to me. He told me exactly how to find the enchanted city, telling me it was one of the most powerful ones and would be worth infiltrating. Back then he and Bethany had a fling, and he convinced her that I was one of theirs, and that she needed to take me under her wing, which she did. Imagine my surprise when destiny dropped you into my lap, Lou! A moonchild!”

“You’re completely nuts! Your whole speech about Black and how he was just trying to use me; that’s exactly what you’re doing! I thought you cared for me, that you were my friend.”

The double betrayal of Black and Zach in the last twenty-four hours is unbearable. I just want to wake up in my bed and find that the last two weeks have all been a dream. Sadly I realize that going back in time at this point is not going to be possible.

Zach gets closer to me once more, putting his hands through the bars of the cage and caressing my face with the back of his hand.

“In another life, maybe. You and I could have been together, but now there are too many things separating us.”

“Never, Zach. You and I could never be together, not in this life, or any other. You abused my faith in you and you tricked me. Nobody has ever betrayed me the way you have.”

“Oh! I think Black had his part to play in this story, too.”

“At least, with him, he didn’t play any games making me believe that I could trust him. From the start, I’ve known that he was rotten, but there are different kinds of evil in this world, and you are the worst kind of evil!”

I can see by the grimace that passes over his face that I’ve reached him. Zach is nothing but a child who has only known a life filled with vengeance, and I pity him.

“Don’t waste your pity on me, Lou. I won’t back down. There’s too much at stake here.”

“What is at stake, Zach?”

“World balance. It’s just a question of survival, the survival of the fittest. I can’t let the enchanters destroy us; the time for war is approaching! I won’t let them do to humans what they did to my parents.”

“And you’re ready to sacrifice me for that?”

Zach doesn’t answer; I presume there’s still a tiny bit of humanity in him.

“Enough already, I don’t want to listen to another word. If you won’t make her shut up, I will.”

A pure white flash of light crosses the space and reaches me, running a surge of electricity through my body. The signal is cut and I faint.

"You never know how strong you are until the day that being strong is the only option."  
Bob Marley

Am I afraid to die? I don't think so. But I do, however, feel that I would be failing my mother in not fulfilling her plan for me, the one she sacrificed herself for. These thoughts are floating around in my head as I slowly return to consciousness. I can hear voices that are somehow nearby and far away at the same time, as if there were voices all around me.

"They're already there, below, sir. Should I take out the army?"

"Yes, open the cases, I’ll take care of guiding them here. Zach, do you have the weapons ready? I think we’ll be in battle sooner than we planned."

Oh! Who's there? Weapons and an army for what? I manage to open my eyes and see Zach with some kind of large bag from which he pulls weapons, all sorts of them...

A few seconds later, I see Aaron waving his cane wildly in the air, repeating a sort of mantra as he does. The black stone on the tip of his cane lights up, revealing the contrasting red that now looks like lava. After a couple of minutes, the doors on the side of the room open releasing an army... of what looks like the living dead. Of course, he’s a necromancer. The dead seem to be responding entirely to the magician's commands and the hall is soon full of more than fifty of them. What are they preparing for? Is all this for me? Surely not, because locked up in this cage without my powers, I’m completely at their mercy.

"They're here! Prepare yourself and don't kill Black. We need him alive to break the spell."

I must have misunderstood. Black is here? I hear a great knocking sound and the main door opens with a loud bang. My heart stops and I can see who’s entering. From behind the door come Charles, Flicka, Pyros, Éloï, Pax and even Black. I feel goose bumps as my powers return in a great comforting wave washing over me. I spot Zach grabbing one of his guns. I have to do something. I send a surge of energy to stop time and thankfully, it seems to have reached him in time. Black takes the advantage offered and, from the other side of the room, he removes all the guns by having them float in the air the way he did with the ice cream bowls only the night before, on THE night.

Aaron lets out a desperate cry and waves his cane wildly once again. The living dead throw themselves at the newcomers.

"Black, nice to see you. I see you’ve come to retrieve your new plaything! She's mine, and I won't let her go," says Aaron, as if he were speaking to a toddler.

Black is furious and, with one move, he rips about half the seats out of the hall and shoots them at Aaron, who doesn't move an inch.

I try to throw a ball of energy towards Aaron, but nothing happens. I guess I'm too weak after the shock I sustained and the return of my powers.

I can only watch what's going on powerlessly. Pax's mirage is useless here, so he floats above the crowd with a sort of saber that he uses to destroy a few of the morbid soldiers.

Flicka is incredible standing there with her rodents, as usual, but also with stray dogs who attack the ghouls, distracting them from their onslaught. Charles grabs one of Zach's guns that he now uses with high accuracy. Pyros takes out his blazing sword and is in his glory, he almost looks happy.

During this time, his sister has been keeping the dead at bay with her walls of ice, herding them into the center of the room. I would love to help them, to be with them at that moment instead of being the reason they’re risking their lives! I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to them because of me. I need to do something...concentrating as hard as I can, I manage to send a surge of energy towards Aaron, who seems more surprised than hurt.

"Oh, so the little creature wants to play, well I can play that game too."

He points his cane at me to, I presume, send another shock my way.

"No!" yells Black loudly, sounding almost possessed.

He whistles, and in a fraction of a second, the cage that I’m in moves a few feet, easily dodging Aaron’s lightning.

"Don't worry, I don't intend to kill her, I just want to entertain myself a little. I love seeing you in such a weak and vulnerable position! I find it highly amusing! And I’m hard to please lately. I'm usually not impressed at all," says Aaron, in a bored tone of voice, as if all this combat, this horror, were everyday occurrences for him.

Zach manages to sneak through the room and grab a weapon. He starts to shoot at my team.

"Éloï! The shield!" I yell, and she manages to pull out a great shield of ice that breaks on impact with the bullets, but still manages to protect them from the volley.

"Zach! Bring the girl up to the roof, we're leaving," orders the necromancer in a stern tone of voice. So, it's YOUR plan, is it, Zach? Really? I'm not so sure of that. Zach walks over to me and unlocks the cage, grabbing me firmly by the wrist.

Black takes the moment of distraction to shoot a piece of metal at Aaron and it goes right through his midsection, pinning him to the wall.

"Ha, ha. Hysterical, Black. You've ruined my new smoking jacket!"

How can he be unhurt by that attack?

Releasing me from the cage, Zach pulls me toward the wings of the stage.

Black is next to me in a second and is right behind him.

“I would let her go right now if I were you," he says, gritting his teeth as he spits out the words.

Zach lets me go and turns towards Black, who then whistles and I know what that means, but Zach is a human, and somewhere deep inside him there is goodness. He’s just lost, like me, and doesn't know what he's doing. Without thinking, I step between the two of them and the inevitable happens. Black shoots one of the metal rods towards him and it goes right through me. In an instant, I look into Black’ eyes that are filled with desperation, it’s a look that’s somehow familiar to me, but I’m not sure why. Then I black out.

***

I wake up gently to Flicka's tears.

"I can't do it, she's lost too much blood. I never healed anyone with such a serious wound."

"Try, you have to do it. I can't stand this," I hear Black saying, sounding terrified.

The conversation eventually muffles and I fade in and out of consciousness.

***

"Let her rest for a few minutes, she needs space. I want you all to go and wait by the plane, we'll join you soon," Charles asks my team.

"Is she going to be ok? Will she survive?" asks Éloï.

I try to rouse myself. I can feel my energy returning like a warm wind in the middle of winter and I exhale deeply, sitting up in one move.

"You're alive!" yells Flicka, hugging me to her.

"Gently Flicka! Give her space," says Charles, taking the members of my group by the shoulders and guiding them outside. Now there’s only Black and me in the hall...unless...

"Where are Aaron and Zach?" I ask, feeling the energy coming back to me in a surge.

"Aaron managed to get away when I mistakenly attacked you. Zach left at the same time. I swear...I promise you... if I ever catch him. Lou, I'm so sorry..."

I never saw him so vulnerable and speechless. He seems to be on the verge of tears.

"It's not your fault, I was just trying to protect him,"

"Why? He kidnapped you!"

He looks completely confused.

"That's not a reason to kill him in cold blood. He had his reasons, just like you have yours. He kidnapped me, and you cast a spell on me. It's the same thing. You both used me as a means to an end. You were both trying to save something. For you, it was your wife; for him, it was humans. In either case, I was just a pawn."

He doesn't like my comparison, but I can see he recognizes the truth of my words. But what still hurts me the most is that I almost gave him my heart. In fact, I'm lying to myself, I already gave him my heart and I hate him as much as I love him.

"We need to get out of here, now!"

He orders me around so much that it's starting to drive me crazy. I suddenly remember why I left him in the first place and all those feelings surface again. Yes, he came here to save me, or rather to prevent someone else from stealing his precious key, nothing more than that.

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. "

Jean de la Fontaine

My legs are still trembling because of everything that’s just happened, but I do feel my energy slowly returning to my body, thanks to the talents of my wonderful healer. I try and follow Black, who strides towards the small plane that’s parked on a runway behind the building. The entire group is already on board, but I’m too exhausted after the whole ordeal to think about getting away from him. I can sense Black's impatience from the energy he’s giving off and his frequent sighs, but honestly, after what he did to me yesterday, I don't even want to look at him.

I thought I could trust my friends, but obviously, I was wrong about that. But despite Zach's betrayal and the pain he inflicted on me, the most painful part of the whole thing is still the memory of Black and that girl. I'm not even able to say his name. Orpheus has become a stranger to me, as sinister as the man I met the night of the ball. He's Lord Black in all his evil splendor. But I'm still confused by the look of horror I saw on his face when I took the hit for Zach. That look created a strange feeling of déjà-vu in me and brought up feelings so dark that I don't even want to think about them. A shiver runs down my spine when I feel his fingers on my lower back, probably there to remind me to hurry up. I presume he wants to bring me back to safety to finally complete his mission. He'll surely lock me up in a tower somewhere to make sure I don't escape again. I'm the thorn in his side. But I still can't imagine he'll give up his treasure. The Emerald Tablet seems to be the only thing that anybody cares about. We reach Black's plane, a beautiful machine...just one more way to express his superiority.

He lets go of my back and signals for me to go up the stairs. As much as I want to refuse this controlling man, my entire body is aching and suffering from even this small amount of contact with his. Once inside the plane, I can see the worried looks on the faces of my friends and they all rush towards me. I just want to disappear; I hate arousing sympathy. I preferred the anger or the disgust at my spontaneous escape to these concerned looks. Black puts his hand back on my lower back and whispers insistently in my ear.

"Into the back room, now."

Now he's really looking angry. Well, two can play at that game, Mr. Black.

He opens the door of the room at the back of the plane and guides me with his hand still firmly on the small of my back. From the corner of my eye, I see the stunned looks on the faces of my friends just as he shuts the door behind us. I can see that I'll have to answer to Flicka once we get back to the city. I sit down on the bed and wait for what’s to come, the inevitable dictator's sermon towards a soldier who disobeyed the rules.

Black stands still, staring at the door, his back to me. Even if I can't see his face, I can sense his agitation. He pulls at his hair and turns, hiding his face with his hands. The tension is palpable, and I don't know where to move; the air is electric. After a few moments of unbearable silence, he lowers his hands and decides to finally speak.

"What were you thinking, Lou? I...I could only imagine the worst. I thought you were forcibly taken. I never would have dreamed you would have run away like that. Lou, you don't have any powers without me. Do you have any idea how much danger you were in?"

"And whose fault is that? You were the one who cast that stupid spell on me."

I can see the panic in his eyes. He paces in the cabin, continuing to run his fingers through his hair. I never saw him so at a loss. He seems to be beside himself.

"I told you, I didn't do it to put you in danger; just the opposite, Lou. I wanted you to stay near me so I could protect you and avoid something like what just happened in there."

"Protect me! By taking away my powers? What planet are you on? Am I a delicate sculpture, nice to put in a box, but always afraid I'll break?"

"You should have let me take care of you, Lou. You’re strong, I know that, but look what happens when someone with the wrong intentions wants your power. I can't even think about what might have happened in there. What if I hadn't been able to reach you in time?"

His features are so tense that he seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Of course, you wouldn't want to lose the key to your precious Emerald Tablet, now would you?"

He calms himself and gets closer to me, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of me and forcing me to look into his face. My pulse quickens and my hands become clammy, the usual reaction that comes automatically now as soon as Black is near me. My body doesn't seem to care that I detest him.

"You know that's not it, Lou. Don't say that after the week we spent together."

"Oh, and I guess what happened yesterday was supposed to remind me of how much you care for me?"

"Don't go there, Lou."

He suddenly goes cold and backs away from me, upset once more.

"I know that you and I can never be because of Eurydice. But being with that other girl didn't seem to bother you at all."

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Miss Mills?"

In an instant, he’s back to his malicious self. I can't let myself be reached by charm.

"For there to be jealousy, there must first be an attraction."

His face darkens for a moment. He turns his head away as if to stop himself from saying what's on his mind.

"So, you feel nothing for me?"

He looks down at the floor, swallowing with difficulty.

He can't have the upper hand in this conversation or I'll never get out of it without pain. I would give him my whole heart, and he won't offer me a thing because he loves another. I take my time and control my emotion, and then I answer as carefully and indifferently as I can.

"Nothing."

He closes his eyes, biting his lip and clenching his fists.

"Ok! Now I know!"

"Yes, you do," I answer, coldly.

He looks up and our eyes meet, both of us silent for a few moments. His jaw tightens; he doesn't appreciate my answer, apparently.

He murmurs something that I can't quite hear.

"What did you say?"

He sighs and crosses his arms over his chest, then spits out the answer in a flood of words.

"It was a master of illusion."

"A master of illusion? What are you talking about?"

I don't have a clue what he means.

He lowers his eyes, obviously uncomfortable with feeling so insecure.

"Yesterday, in my room, it was a master of illusion. He owed me a favor."

"A favor! You call that a favor? Making me believe you were with another woman! Why?"

This time, I’m hysterical and on the verge of tears. How can someone want to make another person suffer so much? He knows what I went through with Joemy and my best friend.

He puts his hand over his face and comes to sit on the ground in front of me, placing his hands on my knee. I’m speechless and find it impossible to stop him.

"I lost the love of my life with one look, that night in the Underworld and I was afraid to lose it again a second time, with the same look, the night I set eyes on you at the ball.”

He lets go of my hands and lies back on the mattress, his head on the bed.

Oh, my god! Is he telling me he feels something for me?

"I've had four thousand years to think, to despair and suffer as a martyr because she’s there and I’m here, and it's all my fault. I can't do that to her, Lou. You need to stay far away from me. You'll be the death of me, I will be lost, Lou, and I've been lost for too long already. You need to understand, that we can't be and will never be able to be together. But please don't tell me that you didn't feel anything for me, that will kill me!"

I can sense his desperation in the most primal way.

"You are so unfair, Orpheus. You expect me to give my heart to someone who will never accept it?! I won't give you the pleasure of owning me. You make your choice and leave me to make mine."

I roll away from him on the bed and closer to the wall.

Orpheus, yes, I said his name; I couldn't help myself. He sits up and crawls over to me like a panther hunting its prey. His body is over mine; what right does he have to seduce me while he so openly rejects me?

"I know that we can't be together, Lou and I know I’m the one who’s responsible for that, but I can't do that to her. I just need to know...I need to know what you feel for me. Give me just that, Lou. I promise this will be the last time I bring it up. After tonight I’ll never touch you again, I won't even come near you, but please release me, I need to know or I'll go crazy!"

He gets so close to me that I can feel his breath on my mouth. Part of me wants him to kiss me, but the other part of me needs to be protected from him.

He leans his face onto my neck and inhales deeply. I can feel his breath like gentle kisses on every part of my skin. Each of the cells in my body is synchronized and programmed to react to Orpheus.

"Your scent drives me crazy, your skin, your smile, your awkwardness, the way you smile...when I saw you at the ball I felt something I haven't felt for an eternity. I was so afraid of the way you made me feel that I turned those emotions into ones of a predator. I wanted to chase you so that you’d be afraid of me and that you wouldn't come close to me. I certainly didn't wish to feel anything for you, but I dug my own grave.  Curiosity transformed into an obsession. I needed to see you. And seeing you with Zach every day drove me crazy. The other night, when you let me see the way you live every day, I felt you were so happy. I wanted to be the reason for that happiness. I didn't mean to scare you; I wanted to have you to myself, and only to myself. Then, in the shower, I almost gave myself to you, but the image of Eurydice came back to me. She’ll always be there and that's why I needed to do something that would make you detest me. If only I’d known that you were going to run away and put yourself in danger, I would never have gone through with it. And when you took the hit for Zach..."

He stops talking and rests his forehead on my chest. I’m dumbfounded and completely overwhelmed by what he’s telling me. I can hardly believe a word.

"What I saw in your eyes was the same thing I saw in Eurydice's. I had made the same mistake again, plunging you into hell just as she is. Today I turned the city upside down to find you. There was no way I was going to lose you because of my error. Lou, we can't be together, but I can't live without you. I know that what I’m asking is selfish, but I need you. I need to know that you’re safe, near me."

I think for a moment, and we sit in absolute silence. He runs his fingers through my hair, grabbing on to my head and bringing me close to him. My body is crying out for him but I push him away with such a powerful ball of energy that he’s thrown across the cabin. He gets up and looks at me, stunned. I can't let him do it; he will regret it forever and neither one of us would recover from a momentary lapse.

"Orpheus, I ...we will maintain a strictly platonic relationship. We’ll find the tablet and you’ll find your wife. If I were to go any further than that with you, I’d never survive."

I can see by the look in his eyes that he understands he’s gone too far. But that knowledge doesn't seem to make him feel any better. He hits the wall and leaves the cabin, leaving me all by myself. I fall asleep almost immediately, completely exhausted.

I wake up with a very concerned looking Flicka sitting at the end of my bed.

"Oh, you are in so much trouble, my friend. No more secrets from now on...Charles is furious!! He's waiting for you in his car. We're all going to his house to strategize."

“Black too?”

"No, Gertrude doesn't want him there, and anyways, he left as soon as we landed. He didn't look happy. What on earth did you say to him? He came out of the cabin earlier and didn't say a word to anyone except Charles."

This is typical Flicka, always too curious and wanting to know everything. Frankly, she missed her calling as a journalist.

"That's just one of his usual moods," I answer, in the most disconnected way possible.

She seems skeptical, but shrugs and pulls me out of the airplane. Once at Charles' I head straight to the lake. I take a moment to myself while Gertrude receives them all with her famous pastries. The lakeshore and the fresh breeze succeed in calming me. If I could stop time, I would stay here, staring at the view and the absolute peace.

I can't figure out why Black let me leave with my team when he knows that without him I’m powerless. I imagine he’ll come back for me shortly, and my stomach is in knots at the idea of seeing him again so soon. His words are still floating around in my head like a sad song, or a tragedy is more like it. Why did he admit all that? Now I can't hate him and I can't love him either. When he finds his wife, he'll forget all about me. The only reason he’s so confused about his feelings for me is that I’m the first woman he’s let into his life in a long time. Who else can brag about waiting for a long lost lover for more than four thousand years? It only makes sense that he confuses his feelings about me. I’m only a conduit to let him say the things he wishes he could say to Eurydice. If I give in and tell him what he wants to hear, he wins on all fronts and I lose. I've already lost, because no matter what happens, I will always be madly in love with Orpheus. It's as clear to me as the water that laps up on shore.