Empyreal: Awaken - Book One

by Christal M. Mosley

  “Wait a second, how do you two know each other?” Coralie asked, perplexed.

  “It's a long story –” Alex started.

  “Yeah, one that can wait for tomorrow...” Court concluded, leaving no room for argument.

  But that didn't stop Coralie in trying. “… one that I would love to hear...”

  Alex jumped at the chance to chime in. “… and one that I’d love to tell...”

  Irritated, Court clarified, “Cor, I promise we can make the time for more stories tomorrow. Your parents are worried and we should really get you home, okay?” He took her hand, and began leading her away from Alex. “So, can we go now and discuss this later?”

  The two of them began to walk in the opposite direction of Alex, silence falling all around them.

  “Coralie –” Alex called out, causing Coralie to turn immediately toward him. When Alex knew he had her attention, he continued, “… tomorrow, Cor ... I can explain everything ... I just –”

  “You're like me. You knew...” Coralie affirmed, with hurt in her voice.

  This tore at Alex's chest, painfully.

  “Yes, I knew ... and I've known all along. But I’ve never lied to you ... everything I've ever said to you has been true. Everything...” Alex explained in desperation. He paused, moving closer, grabbing her hand. “Please believe me ... I never meant to hurt you.”

  At this slight of notion, Court's jaw clinched, but he awaited Coralie's reaction.

  Coralie nodded, then slowly let go of Alex’s hand. “I do believe you, Alex...”

  “Tomorrow, then...” Alex said, attempting to confirm his assumption.

  She nodded. Offset, but acceptingly.

  Coralie turned back to Court, and they began their trudge toward his motorcycle, sitting at the edge of the tree-lined road. She could feel Alex's eyes still resting upon her as she walked away.

  “He'll be fine...” said Court, reading her without even looking at her. “He'll be following us anyway,” Court started, “... it's his duty...” Realizing his words, he stopped, and then looked at her.

  Coralie's eyes were questioning and confused.

  “Forget that I said anything. You've been exposed to enough tonight. I'll enlighten you with all of the mind-numbing details later, okay? This, too, can wait 'til tomorrow.”

  This seemed to be the theme of her life. Everything to be explained later. Everything to be continued ...

  Exhausted, and not wanting to put up an argument, Coralie resisted the urge to protest Court's choice of transportation. She threw her leg up and over the back of the seat, straddling the motorcycle. She sat snug behind Court, reaching around his waist, closed her eyes, and held on tight.

  Without a word, Court cranked the engine and sped off, just the two of them ... with Alex trailing not far behind.

  Chapter 30

  Xavier could hear the sound of his own footsteps echoing throughout the shadowy passageway. Live, fire-lit wall torches illuminated the darkened stone hallway into a soft orange and red glow.

  As he approached one of the chamber doors, he could hear proverbial voices getting louder, all very familiar. He paused, beginning to listen very carefully.

  The door leading to the chamber room was slightly closed, giving privacy to those who sat on the other side of it. Xavier noticed a slight peek of luminosity seeping through the door. He searched the woody surface until he found the crack from which it came. He stood almost silent and motionless, surveying the chamber through the crack in the old wooden door.

  Xavier could see the flicker of similar fire lit torches, perched on the walls inside of the chamber. Though he could only barely make out some of the faces amongst the ones inside the stone-walled room, he found himself recognizing and individualizing the voices of those who sat around the giant, dark, oak table.

  Xavier considered himself to be an intricate member of the party, and yet the invitation to this particular meeting had somehow fallen to the wayside, never making into his hands.

  First, the thought occurred to him, that the Others may have simply overlooked his involvement and the need to contact him.

  Maybe he would be bothered with such details. Maybe he would be too busy to attend. Maybe he would be too engaged on his mission work in the field to be troubled with such an assembly.

  Though, the idea to him seemed somewhat realistic, he quickly pushed the thought aside due to the fact that everyone in The Guard knew his dedication to this mission.

  A second thought soon occurred ...

  Would the Others try to push him aside as unnecessary? Surely not. Assuredly, he could never be thought of as needless, unwarranted, excessive. He allowed this thought to pass very quickly.

  Finally, the thought passed of the Heads – Head of Divisions. Head of Missions. Head of Council. The latter being the most intricate of them all.

  This was his connection to the inside. The Head of Council would simply inform him of any plans made in the early morning. This knowledge eased his angst of exclusion.

  The Head of Council was clever. Xavier could read his feelings. Everything was going according to his plan. He would not dare reveal all of his tricks so soon. He wanted their trust first, and then he would decide to move forward.

  Though Xavier would surely hear the recap soon after the meeting was over, he moved closer to the door. Deciding on the fact that he didn’t want to miss one word of the advancing design of the deliberate strategy, he listened closely to the blending murmurs.

  Suddenly, one voice made its way through the intermingled voices. “But, Sir, how do we know that she is even the One?”

  The Head of Council began to speak, but before a sound could leave his mouth, a familiar voice spoke. “She is the One.”

  “You don’t know for certain.” A voice argued.

  The familiar voice spoke again very clearly. “I have seen what she can do.”

  “Have the Fortunes not spoken? Have they not Declared her?” A voice questioned.

  Another voice spoke up out of the amalgam. “How can we trust that the Fortunes’ readings and interpretations are precisely correct? Could they not be mistaken?”

  The Head of Council spoke again, trying to contain his controlled temperament. “You must trust that I have extended all resources in making for certain that we are making accurate, just decisions and choices as we move forward in our plans. That we are searching for the True Great Empyreal Warrior. And that she will bring us power as we rise against our foes – those who have turned their backs on us, those who have betrayed us, and those who will be forced to bow down to our demands and to reconcile within their defeat.”

  Seemingly pleased with their leader’s promises, a hush fell over their concerns.

  Then one voice asked, engaging the Others within the Council, “So, what is our next move, Sir?”

  “Decisions are being made. Very soon, we will be given the opportunity to move in closer to our prey. We have still got some ground to cover, but soon, very soon, my loyal companions, we will have the life and the power that we have all so longed for...”

  Epilogue

  Court stepped through Coralie's third story bedroom window, and walked out onto the rooftop. He took a seat by Coralie, who sat soundlessly looking up at the stars. She felt refreshed, having taken a shower as soon as she had arrived home and changed clothes. A mute attempt to erase the night ... or at least tuck it away for a while.

  Court spoke up, disrupting the silence of the dark night surrounding them. “You okay?”

  “I don't know...”she answered, softly.

  “Wanna talk about it?” he offered.

  “Tonight was a little much, you know ... and now that I -”

  “Now that you what?”

  “All I ever wanted was to know the truth. The truth about what was going on around me. Why I couldn't remember my life … why I’ve never felt quite normal … why I've always felt so different in an oh-so-normal life. I wanted so bad to remember, to have m
y memories again, and now they're flooding the pages of my mind...”

  “And that's a bad thing?”

  “No, it's just that...”

  “What? Cor, you can tell me...”

  “It’s just that … I think that I have more than just mine in there...”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I think that somehow since I'm able to access my own memories now ... somehow, I'm also able to access others...”

  “Others...”

  She nodded. “I'm remembering things, but some of memories are not mine … they’re not my memories...”

  “I know that you probably don't want to hear this right now, but this may be another one of your Gifts. We all have something that we can do naturally great or can be trained very well to do … but you seemed to have been Blessed with more than one of these extraordinary Gifts ... kind of cool, huh?”

  “Cool?”

  “Yeah…”

  “I have the power to suspend things in mid-air, and to toss things about without even touching them. I have the power to travel at just under warp speed when I decide to go for a leisurely run. And now, I can see other people's memories, relive the moments with them, and who knows what else. I don't know if 'cool' is the word that I am looking for, exactly...”

  “I think 'cool' fits just fine. Look, we'll talk to your Dad, and I know he'll probably want to consult the Great Book. Maybe we can find some answers in there...” Court said, trying to be helpful in easing her angst, “By the way, speaking of your father – I just spoke with him downstairs, and he's put out an alert. He's warning the Elders and the other Warriors of the potential threat.”

  Coralie went silent again.

  “Cor –” Court began.

  Coralie turned toward him, in fear of his upcoming words.

  With this, Court continued. “There has always been reason for alarm, for distress, for apprehension. There has always been reason for your protection, you know, with the fear of them finding out about you, the fear of them searching for you, and the fear of them finding you. But now –” he paused, gathering his thoughts. “Now, things are different. Our fears have most certainly become a reality, and the reasons for those fears are certain to be attempted to be carried out...”

  Coralie didn't have any accessible words, so she remained reticent.

  This allowed for Court's continuance. “Cor, with tonight's encounter, the dynamics have changed.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tonight’s encounter with Tempest was a game-changer.” Court paused gathering his thoughts. “Oh, Cor … I wish you hadn’t –”

  “I had no choice!” Coralie shouted, cutting Court’s words and allowing her own words to flow freely.

  “You always have a choice...”

  “I had to do something. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing.”

  “That's what Alex was supposedly there for ... and now, the wonderment of you will be over. Every last one of the Others will find out about your true existence and they will attempt to come after you.”

  “But how? Tempest is gone. She dissipated before our very eyes, just as her shadowed creatures did.”

  “Yes, she vanished, but it doesn't mean that she is gone.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Tempest is a Rogue Warrior. She is practicing as a High Witch. She has great power, new power ... and she is in search of more, much more. Our encounter with her tonight – whether a defeat or not – will surely result in a hunt. “

  “So, a search and destroy mission with my name written all over it, huh?”

  “This is not joke. The Others are coming after you, Coralie...” he paused, trying to retain composure. “Before, it was just a wild goose chase of a myth, a legend ... now, with confirmation, you have become their number one priority...”

  “Then, I'll fight them...” Coralie said, with such determination and conflict in her voice.

  “Spoken like a true Warrior...” Court allowed a slight smirk to appear on his lips just before fading again.

  Coralie quickly looked at him. “She said that.”

  “Who said what?”

  “Tempest. She said that very same thing. She said those same words to me. But Alex said that it wasn't true … he said that I was different.”

  He shifted towards her. “You are different, Cor. You are a Warrior, yes ... but your heart, your soul, your purpose … you are meant to be much different.” Then Court paused to gather his thoughts and words. “Your soul is so pure, and according to the Great Book, your purpose is somewhat dependent upon that. You were born for this. Not to be like me, not to be like Alex, not even to be like your parents. You were meant to be ... well, you.”

  Coralie shrugged. “I know that was supposed to help my feelings ... but –” Coralie paused, then began to speak again, but stopped when she looked into Court's eyes and felt everything he was feeling.

  Hurt, pain, regret. Regret for words that he was about to release from his very own lips.

  “Coralie ... I am Warrior, a First Warrior, the youngest ever, in fact. You may not quite understand all of this yet, but I will try to explain myself as comprehensible as possible. I have trained and worked very hard for the position that I hold. But I know that with that position comes extreme obligation and responsibility. When the Elders call a mission, I'll be the first to go...”

  “No, Court –” she began to protest.

  “It's out of my hands. Arrangements are being prepared as we speak.” Court said, looking out into the night.

  “But you don’t know … I mean, we can stop them, we can postpone them, even...” Coralie pleaded.

  Court shook his head. “It won’t work. Plans are being made ... you can’t easily dissuade the Elders.”

  “But how do you know that for sure? How do you know about their plans? I mean, it’s not like –”

  He turned and looked into Coralie’s eyes, deep into her soul. She felt what he felt. His thoughts, his fears, his pain. She swallowed hard, pushing the feelings down into the pit of her stomach. “You can hear them, can’t you?”

  He nodded without a word, which there was no need for.

  For the first time, Coralie listened. She heard every word, every thought, loud and clear. “No, Court! You can't leave me. I need you. They can't split us apart,” she cried out in panic. “No, no, I won't have it! We are much stronger when we are together.”

  He smiled, moving in closer than before, looking into her eyes. He lifted his hand to grab a hold of hers. “Now, that's...,” he paused, shaking his head, “... so, untrue...”

  “It's not – “ Coralie cried out again. “It’s not – I need you!”

  “The truth is that I am much stronger with you. But you ... you are much stronger than any of us, Coralie ... much stronger … even on your own...” Court said, admittingly.

  “No, I don’t believe that.”

  He pulled her hand up to his chest and held her hand there. “I need you to be strong for me. I need you here ... to stay safe. I need you to do this so that I can complete my mission – whatever, wherever it may be – and so that I can get back here … so that I get back to you.”

  Though she was trying to fight them, tears began to well up in her eyes. “But Court –”

  “Do this for me, Coralie ... and know that wherever I am, my heart is always with you. It lies and resides here,” he moved his free hand up to her chest, and rested his hand over her heart, “... with you always...” He pulled her close and kissed her, with his fingertips of one hand still pressed against her heart. With his other, still holding her hand, he pressed it closer to his heart. Coralie could feel their hearts beating harmoniously together. As if they were meant to beat, one for the other.

  Coralie knew that Court was right.

  Because of her actions upon Tempest – whether merely intended or inflicted – the Warriors' fears had become a reality. A war wouldn't be too far from certainty if the Warriors coul
d not gain swift, resilient control of the Others. Soon everyone would know about Coralie – who she was, who she was to become.

  Coralie looked out into the dark night, still within Court's embrace. She knew that they were out there. Those who would try to hurt her and those who would try to protect her. And the time for the need for one against the other would come soon.

  But as for tonight, it was only her, Court, and the stars that looked over them ... she would face tomorrow when it came.

  Author Bio

  Christal grew up in a small town in the South, spending most of her free time lost in a good book or dreaming up characters of her own. She now lives in a somewhat bigger, small town in the South with her family, and she still enjoys getting lost in a good book and giving her characters a voice. Her debut novel, Awaken, is the first in the Empyreal series.

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