Ember Rising Light (Book One)

by C.K. Mullinax

  Chapter Sixty Seven

  Celeste said I looked amazing when I walked into their house. I thanked her as she hugged me tight.

  “Ember is the moon,” Boo announced as he ran into the den to greet me.

  “No buddy the moon lives in the sky,” I replied.

  Rave and Celeste had this super monster-sized birthday cake made for me. I asked them what army they planned to feed and they laughed. It had seven different layers. Each one was a different flavor. I challenged my brother to eat a piece from each one and he did it. He looked ill after he took the last bite, but he said it was worth its weight in entertainment value. We had cheered him on like he was competing for the cake eating gold medal.

  After we cleaned up the dishes, Boo led me over to the couch and made me cover my eyes. Then he placed two beautifully wrapped birthday gifts on my lap. I opened the smallest one first because Rave told me it was a special gift from my Boo-bear. Inside the box I discovered a new charm for my necklace. It was shaped like a rubber duck and appeared to have some type of shiny blue sand inside of it. The sand looked just like the stuff that was in the vial, hanging from Heaven’s shoelace leash.

  “That’s an essence charm made by one of the finest Vaydem craftsmen on the Preserve. The charm itself is made from the rare savayic crystal and it’s filled with a small portion of Boo’s water essence. He wants you to have a piece of his spirit wherever you go…” Rave explained and I was suddenly, fighting back tears.

  “Thank you my Boo-bear. I really love it and I love you too…” I told him and we hugged each other for a few minutes.

  I added the charm to my necklace. Willow looked thoroughly panicked when she saw the tears fill my eyes. She had spent all day getting me ready. It even took her three attempts before she finally managed to get one coat of mascara on my eyelashes.

  Seems mascara is super tricky and it tickles my eyelids…

  I opened the other gift and discovered a dress inside it. It took my breath away because it was so beautiful. The sheer black dress was made of a shimmering material that was sort of see-through. It had purple ribbons woven and sewn around the inside with the same Ay’sha runic symbols embroidered on them. The dress was made of a soft, unfamiliar material. Sleek, black ribbons surrounded the dress on the outside. I prepared to turn it inside out so I could check out those purple ribbons.

  “No Ember, this is a special Vaydem ceremonial vestment and shouldn’t be turned inside out for any reason. The purple ribbons must stay against your body. In honor of your birthday tonight, we are going to open a spiritual ring of power. The vestment will be called on to assist you with the channel…” Celeste explained. “Now, please hand it to me because it’s customary for the eldest female to dress the primary channeler.”

  Celeste slipped it over my head. The ceremonial vestment fit perfectly over my other outfit because they were obviously designed to be worn together. I saw Willow exchange an “I told you so” look with Tray. He offered her his best sideways smile as an apology of sorts.

  “Ember, we’re going to be opening a Sacred Vaydem channeling circle. It’s been set up outside and the ground has been prepared already. You will stand tonight in the Apex position located at the top of the ring. I will stand to the left, in a position called Symmetry. Willow will stand to the right, in a position called Balance…” Celeste explained as we walked outside.

  A huge unlit bonfire was placed in the center of what appeared to be a large circle that had been burnt into the ground. The bonfire wood is coated in an oily substance. Celeste positioned me and I waited for further instructions. I had never channeled anything through Vaydem powers before. So, this was both scary and thrilling.

  Tray was the last one to be positioned. He stood directly behind me. Celeste didn’t say he was standing in a position, so it must just be precautionary. They didn’t want me to float away at night.

  Rave turned up the beautiful and haunting music. It must be Vaydem in origin because I have never heard anything like it before. Next he picked up a big, unlit torch and said something in his sacred language. I was enthralled as I watched him use the torch to draw a circle in the air. He stated one more line and I felt him channel the essence of fire. He tossed the torch skyward. The fire streaked behind it, as if giving chase. The torch ignited, lofted a little higher and then, started falling in the direction of the oily stack of wood.

  Unbridled fear swept through my system and took complete control of me for an instant. I was prepared to shout, “Wait, what am I supposed to do?? I’m gonna end up killin’ us all!” I couldn’t force a single word from my mouth though. Terror consumed me as I realized that Boo was standing right beside Rave – way too close to me – way too close to the impending blazing inferno that would be burning in the middle of the ring.

  The torch had already been thrown. It was fully consumed and I didn’t have time to jump up and catch it anyway. I was scared senseless as I watched the burning torch land in the stack of wood. The flames instantly roared into life with a vengeance.

  I swiftly shoved my mammoth terror back down inside myself. I could NOT lose control or we could all die right here and now. Without thinking I cried out to the flames through sheer force of my will because my voice still refused my orders. My mind insanely yelled – “RETREAT! DIE OUT!”

  The command thundered through my brain and I felt my resulting channel as it rocketed into the center of the fire. I watched in awe as the flames started to lower on my command – in complete defiance of the laws of physics. The blazing inferno continued to respond to my demands as I repeated my orders. The fire continued to die down until nothing was left behind, but smoke and ashes.

  I was overcome by emotion and was prepared to throw the most righteous, holy fit known to human existence. They had scared half the life out of me. I wanted to yell like a raving psychotic. I opened my mouth to shout something. I didn’t know if my voice would respond, but right then I would settle for anything.

  Have they all lost their minds????

  “Trust in the circle Ember…” Celeste stated softly before I could get my voice to cooperate with me.

  “But…” was all my voice finally allowed before it was silenced again by something unseen.

  What’s going on??

  “Trust in us…” Willow gently requested.

  I watched Rave relight the fire with the sacred channel. The flames climbed high and skyward once again. A powerful, unseen source seemed to flow through me. My spirit light blended into it. Responding to the celestial power, it started to illuminate with a blinding internal light. My inner fire wrapped around them and fed into the rising light.

  My mind became calm, lucid, aware…everything was quiet inside my spirit…

  The union of the three powers desperately wanted to exit my body and become one with the burning flames. So, I prepared to release them to join the fire. I felt my spirit light press against the delicate fabric of the Vaydem vestment, but it refused to let the union pass. The combination spilled into the ribbon. It felt like water being funneled through a straw. The blended combination was being contained inside the purple ribbon against my skin.

  I felt the warmth of my spirit light encircle me as the flames of the bonfire burned hotter…brighter…higher. The growing flames cried out to the spiritual union, but the power couldn’t be released. The union still urgently needed to join the flames. They responded to the call of the sacred bonfire by changing course in search of another exit.

  They flowed upward against gravity, but they couldn’t find a passage. The combined powers spilled downward toward the earth. They couldn’t pass beyond my tattoos. Then, my spirit light and my inner fire split away from the unknown source. My spirit light flowed through one arm and the inner fire flowed through the other. The unknown power retraced the path of the ribbon. They tried in vain to expend their energies through my arms, legs and anywhere throughout
my body. Nothing could be released. The flames still called out to them, demanding to be one force, united.

  The unknown source seemed to dispel inside me. My inner fire settled back inside its resting place near my heart. My spirit light wasn’t quite as cooperative. It continued to ricochet through my body, intent on joining the flames.

  “Call the light back into your spirit Ember – command it to return to its resting place…” Celeste ordered.

  I allowed the light to spin around inside my body. Its energy had not been spent though and it refused to rest yet.

  “Command the light to gently fade into the shadows…” Willow ordered.

  The light reluctantly began to dissipate into the dark recesses of my body. I started to shiver as my spirit light tried to settle back inside me. My internal fire responded to my suddenly icy spirit. It heated me as it channeled through the power of the light. It felt like a miniature implosion and then, my inner fire absorbed the remains of my spirit light. My body finally returned to normal and I stood transfixed in wonder.

  What just happened??

  I turned around so I could see Tray. My brother hadn’t said a word during the entire event or moved a single inch. He looked both elated and violently ill although I didn’t think that was even possible. I had no idea what to say to everyone. I was perplexed.

  “You stood in the Apex of the Vaydem sacred channeling ring and held all the power inside your body. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life!” Willow exclaimed to me.

  “I’ve never seen anyone with the ability to do what you just did. That was incredible to watch…” Rave declared.

  “Yes! Ember withstood and contained all the power of her spirit light and she channeled the power that surrounded the ring at that same time. That’s a total surprise, wouldn’t you agree Tray??” Celeste asked and then looked directly at my brother.

  Tray still looked stunned like me. He didn’t respond to her in any way.

  “Have you all lost it?? I coulda killed every last one of us…” I screamed more out of unspent stress than anger.

  “How?” Willow asked me curiously.

  I thought I might just fall over the edge into madness.

  “Well, let’s just study on this, for a second! The fire coulda torched us to ashes if I couldn’t command it. My uncontrolled channeling coulda fried our brains. I suppose the explosion between my spirit light and the crazy colossal bonfire might’ve taken us out if it had escaped. Or I could’ve had a heart attack – any of those things – all of those things – just take your pick of one or use them all. That was insane…” I shouted like a total lunatic.

  My brother was finally animated again. He pulled me back against him as I fell to pieces. It took more than thirty minutes before I finally managed to convince my heart that it could safely dislodge itself from my throat. I continued to shake all over even after my heart settled down. The terrible ‘what-ifs’ raged through my awareness and threatened to knock me over the edge again.

  Celeste eventually explained that my ability to stand in the Apex position of the Vaydem spiritual power ring had to be tested. She also stated that this particular test can only be performed during the rising moon on my birthday. She couldn’t apologize for scaring me though. My ability to control my spirit light even when I’m terrified or surprised is critical to my education. I couldn’t argue the logic behind her words, but I was still flipped out completely.

  At least now I knew what my dark premonition was about…