Discovering the Jewels' Secret
Page 22
“That helps me make sense of what I read in the journal,” Liara said. “Do you know what today is?”
“The autumnal equinox,” Stilenta said.
Liara rose. “I’ll wait until you settle in your rooms and bathe. Return here. The time has come to end the tyranny of the Jewels. Though I would rather not be queen, being the Holder of the White suits me less, especially when the gem now shades toward Black.
The three Holders and their Chosen left. Valmir went to the library and brought the ancient scrolls he and Liara had found. The others went to fetch their threads. When they returned, each took a turn reading the journal.
Reena touched Liara’s hand. “Are you sure this is what we must do?”
“Yes. Earda has too long been ruled by the whims of the Jewels.”
Jindera nodded. “And when a good act is judged as ill and ill is good, there is no sense to the rule.”
“Do thee want the Chosen?” Valmir asked.
“We’ll need your strength,” Disa said.
Corin halted at the door. “According to this drawing, we’ll need the mold. I’ll fetch it from the wagon.”
“We’ll wait for you,” Timir said.
When Corin returned with the metal circle, polish and cloths, they walked to the central garden. The walls of the palace surrounded the rectangular area where plants, bushes and trees grew.
“Why here?” Mara asked.
“I don’t know if energy will be released.” Liara reached for a rake to clear a circular bed in the center of the garden where the annual plants had died.
Lajin and Mara searched the beds of plants for those with healing properties. Reena and Andalor removed the roots from the bed. Disa and Brader carried the brush to a corner of the garden. She used her Jewel to set the refuse afire. Corin and Mara cleaned and polished the metal mold. Timir and Nalor found rakes to smooth the bed while Gila and Stilenta helped weave chains from the herbs that had been gathered.
When the bed was smooth, Liara and Valmir placed the metal disc in the center. “Now each Holder must read her scroll and do as the thread bids.” Liara opened her scroll tube and removed the parchment she had found.
“What was done at night during the dark of the moon at the time of the spring equinox can be undone under the light of the sun during the equinox of autumn. What is White turns to Black and Black must change to White. There must be seven gems for the rite and no more or less. Place the Ruling Jewel in the center of the mold and relinquish the power that was brought.”
Liara placed her gem in the central depression. Light from the midday sun seemed trapped in the center of the gem. Two rays rose, one white and one black. Valmir moved to Liara’s side and stood with his hands on her shoulders. She stepped away from the circle.
“Done and done. What was wrought by the moon’s dark light at the spring equinox can be undone at the year’s opposite.” Disa held the Yellow Jewel high. “Suffering blankets the land. To see this undone, touch the Yellow to the White and call on the power of the sun.” She placed the gem in a depression along the rim of the metal disc. A band of yellow light twined around the black and white rays. Brader clasped her shoulders.
Mara held her gem in one hand and the scroll in the other. “Done and done. What was wrought in the dark of the moon will be undone under the light of the sun. Spring to start and autumn to end. When the light is gone, no plant grows or bears fruit. Touch the Green to the White and bring healing to the land.” Mara put her gem in the cup next to the Yellow. Green light laced with the yellow, white and black. Lajin stood behind her.
Next Stilenta began the litany with the opening words and continued to the ones that were only hers. “Water ebbs and water flows. Where once floods ruled, drought has dried the land. Where drought seared the land floods cover the soil.” She mirrored the actions of the others. The ray from the Blue Jewel twined around the others. Nalor clasped her hand.
“Done and done,” Gila began. The opening lines of the chant brought heaviness to the air. “Wind rises and a zephyr is formed. The air twists and turns into a cyclone ripping trees and houses to shards.” She placed the Violet Jewel in the depression. A violet light touched the others. Timir placed his hands in hers.
When Jindera began her chant, her Jewel pulsed like a beating heart. “In the dark blood was shed and in the light staunched. By day or night, the blood of one man is like that of all others.” When she placed the Red Jewel in its place on the metal disc, a scarlet ran streamed from her gem and united with the others. She reached for Corin’s hand.
Reena sighed and read from her scroll. “Done and done. What was wrought in the dark of the moon during the spring equinox will be undone beneath the light of the sun at the equinox of autumn. In the dark beasts creep to tear with fang, claw and poison. In the light, they are tamed.” She bent and placed her gem in the last depression. The orange ray curled around the others. Andalor helped her stand and circled her waist with his arms.
The Holders moved to stand facing their Jewels in a tight circle around the metal disc. Their arms brushed as did those of their Chosen. Liara and Valmir walked three cycles clockwise, three counter clock-wise and three clockwise. On the last circle, they touched each Holder and Chosen.
Liara spoke. “The mold has been primed. The Jewels of Earda have served both good and ill. They can assist or control. Let the light of the sun unmake what was wrought during the dark of the moon.”
As she finished the litany, she felt a drawing sensation. More and more energy was pulled from her. Valmir sent strength to her. She felt the stream of power pouring from the six Holders and their Chosen. Would it be enough? Her body felt weak. Her vision blurred and still the draw continued. Liara swayed. Her knees folded.
When she roused, the sun was near setting. The other Holders stirred. Valmir stretched and rose. “Are thee all right?”
She smiled. “I am.” She accepted his hand and approached her friends. One by one they rose. Liara stared at the place where the metal circle had been. Only darkened earth remained. She turned and gasped. The stones of the palace now gleamed white. “The Jewels of Earda are gone. Now the healing can begin.
The End
Books We Love Books by Janet Lane Walters
Discovering the Jewels’ Secret
Confronting the Wizards
Search for the White Jewel
Murder and Herbal Tea
Murder and Bitter Tea
Murder and Tainted Tea
Murder and Poisonous Tea
Murder and Mint Tea
Whispers From Yesteryear
Past Betrayals, Past loves
Seducing A Pair of Blakefield Friends
Seducing the Blakefield Sisters: Double Feature
Seducing the Blakefield Brothers
Seducing The Baker (At First Sight Book 6)
Seducing The Attorney (At First Sight Book 5)
Seducing The Doctor (At First Sight Book 4)
Seducing the Innkeeper (At First Sight Book 3)
Seducing the Chef (At First Sight Book 1)
Seducing the Photographer (At First Sight Book 2)
The Cancer – Capricorn Connection (Opposites in Love Book 4)
The Gemini – Sagittarius Connection (Opposites in Love Book 3)
The Taurus – Scorpio Connection (Opposites in Love Book 2)
The Aries – Libra Connection (Opposites in Love Book 1)
A Marriage Takes Two
Sanctuary’s Ending (The Goddess of Solunda Book 1)
Dragons of Fyre (Island of Fyre Book 2)
Wizards of Fyre (Island of Fyre Book 3)
Temple of Fyre (Island of Fyre)
Pursuing Doctor West
Bast’s Warrior (An Alternate Egypt Book 1)
Horu’s Chosen (An Alternate Egypt Book 2)
Toth’s Priest (An Alternate Egypt Book 3)
Amber Chronicles
Shattered Dreams (Moonchild)
Rekindled Dreams (Moonchild)
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br /> Melodic Dreams (Moonchild)
Divided Dreams (Moonchild)
A Double Opposition
Moon Summoned
Lines of Fire (The Guild House - Defenders Hall)
Code Blue
The Doctor’s Dilemma
Heart Throb
Books We Love Special Edition - Janet Lane-Walters
Gemstones
Choices
Healwoman
Young Adult books By J L Walters
Escape (Affinities Book 1 - Young Adult Fantasy)
Havens (Affinities Book 2 - Young Adult fantasy, Books We Love)
Searches (Affinities Book 3 - Young Adult Fantasy, Books We Love)
Confrontations (Affinities)
Janet Lane Walters was born in Wilkensburg, Pennsylvania on July 17, 1936, reported to be the hottest day of the summer. She has been a published author since 1968 beginning with short stories and moving into novels when an editor told her a short story sounded like a synopsis for a novel. In the 1970s and 1980s she published four sweet nurse romance novels. Then she returned to school to earn a BS in Nursing and a BA in English. Returning to work as a nurse to help put four children through college, she put her writing career on hold. In 1993 she retired from nursing and began writing again. A new nurse romance followed in print. Then she discovered electronic publishing and since 1998 has been electronically published.
Janet calls herself an eclectic writer since she moves from genre to genre. There are mysteries featuring Katherine Miller, a former nurse who seems to stumble over bodies wherever she goes. Using her interest in Astrology, she has several series that use Astrology as a premise for the stories. Once she earned enough money to travel to Ireland by casting charts for people. She has many books in the romance genre, some of them are contemporary and are nurse romance, and others fall into the fantasy or paranormal forms of romance. Interested in reincarnation, she has used this as a jumping point for at least two novels. Two of her novels deal with alternate worlds using a love affair with Ancient Egypt.
Under her other name, J.L. Walters, she has written a YA fantasy series called Affinities. She has also written a non-fiction book with co-author Jane Toombs that won the EPIC Award in 2003 for best Non-fiction. During her career she has received other awards and has a number of great reviews.
Besides her four adult children, she has seven grandchildren. Five of them are the models for the YA series. The other two arrived too late to play a large role in the series. Four of her grandchildren are bi-racial and three are Chinese so the eclectic even invades her family. She has been married to the same man for more than 50 years. He’s a psychiatrist who refuses to cure her obsession for writing.
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