by Alison Smith
Monique’s laughter filled the room. Jewel was astonished that not one other person joined in with the amusement emanating from Monique. Jewel looked across to where Elijah stood and he retained an impassive expression.
Monique stopped but kept a smile on her face. ‘You will all see very soon.’ She turned to a stake upon which hung a bundle of bones and murmured something that Jewel couldn’t quite hear. Next she turned to a small stool on which there was a pile of flesh. Jewel tried to focus but realised that an attempt had been made to block her vision.
‘I bring clarity of vision and of all sense.’ Jewel’s words rang out and she saw Monique glance at her quickly. Then Monique continued with her murmuring and Jewel realised it was a pile of human lungs on the stool. As Monique turned again towards another stake and this time with a skull Jewel recognised the circle of power that Monique was constructing. Jewel knew, she just knew, exactly what to do and without hesitation calmly walked to the west and kicked over the jug of blood.
‘That was the wrong part of the circle to take, my dearest daughter.’ Monique still sounded amused and Jewel realised that she still held the glass of blood in her hand. As she was about to drink, Jewel raised her own hand. ‘I am Attrahere. Bring me the glass.’ And the glass hurtled from Monique and toward Jewel. At the last moment she dropped her hand and the glass crashed to the floor.
‘I have enough of the circle to outwit you.’ Monique raised her hands ‘I command that the circle is complete and call on The Ancient Ones.’
‘No.’ ‘No.’ A series of “No’s’ echoed around the room and Jewel realised that her own voice was there.
Monique continued ‘I call all Voids from all realms to me now.’ Small voids appeared and began to move around the circle. ‘Soon my circle will be complete and you, my Daughter, will have no strength to resist me.’
Jewel stepped back. She needed to see what was actually happening here. What was cloaked? She had stepped outside of the circle and saw that the voids were forming a dome with Monique in the centre. She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. A welcome hand. ‘Oh Anton’ she murmured hardly daring to look. Was it really him. Glancing to her right side and YES it was truly Anton. Sword in hand and with a grim expression on his face.
‘There will be death here tonight, Dear Jewel. Keep safe. Please. For me.’ And then he began to move towards the circle.
As he walked Jewel realised that he was slightly stumbling and not quite fully in control of his legs. She went towards the circle too and Monique reacted as if stones were being thrown at her. Monique was crumbling before their eyes.
Suddenly Elijah rushed straight into the circle and knelt down in front of Monique. He bowed his head as if in prayer or waiting for Monique to bless him.
‘Faithful servant, I thank you.’ With that Monique took out a long hairpin from her chignon and with a fast smooth movement plunged it into Elijah’s neck. ‘I take this life for my power.’ Monique called out and Jewel immediately felt a surge of energy permeate the room. She had done it. Monique was powerful again.
Anton was transfixed. As if he was frozen. Jewel could do nothing about her dear Anton now. It took all of her strength to remain upright.
Diana, standing quietly at the stone circle, shivered. The night was not cold however an energy surrounding her and the coven was cold. She looked upwards and was concerned. Deep rumbles echoed and black clouds gathered. These were not rain clouds nor were they of the night.
‘This is not helpful’ she said quietly.
‘We should join hands,’ Katrin offered.
All thirteen of them silently join hands.
Diana waited. And then she looked up at the sky and realised ‘We should not be waiting. That is too inactive. We should sing and dance.’
Katrin immediately started to sing a round, one they knew well and each of them took their parts and started circling clockwise. Their voices grew louder and stronger and Diana let go of the hand to her left to lead them in a spiral dance. The black clouds began to disperse and the coven of women and one man carried on dancing, And singing. Twelve women and one man giving their vitality to fight they knew not what. Each of them knew that they were singing and dancing to Jewel and for life itself.
At the same time an ordinary bus, parked on a street corner, became the scene of something extraordinary. Nik had positioned himself in the graveyard and was becoming increasingly alarmed by the black clouds gathering. He knew he could do no more than insist that his consciousness demand the triumph of Jewel. The clouds began to engulf the street and the night bus. Nik wondered whether he should go to Mr Tu and then realised that his hands were all but tied by his superior. No interference … none. And then he saw lights appearing at every window of the bus.
Nik watched as the lights grew brighter and the passengers, one at each window, sprang into definition. And then, as one, each one of them brandished a musical instrument. Orchestral music emanated from the bus. It great louder and more defined. Happy joyful music. Music composed to lift the spirits. Music that contained colours and an ethereal quality worth of the fey themselves. Nik smiled, and stood, and began to dance. He danced around the gravestones and the tombs. He read out the names on each of the inscriptions as he danced past. ‘Paul Kennedy. I give thanks for your life. Amelia Jennifer. I give thanks for your life.’ And on he went. Dancing and singing and giving thanks for those lives that had passed before.Nik celebrated life along with the musicians.
And all over the world, in small pockets of life, music began. A single flute in New York swelled to a city out on the streets laughing and singing. From Brazil to Japan, France to Alaska. Music and dance. Sings and laughter. An animated celebration of life.
And a long way away. New life was started.
And a long way away. New prophecies were layered over old.
Chapter 24
You can take life force yourself. Sable’s voice was as a whisper to Jewel.
What if I take too much? That was Jewel’s worry. That she could take life force no longer held any confusion for her. However she could not, would not, lose control and take too much.
I’ll help. You must bring back balance.
Jewel stood tall. This was her destiny. She knew with every fibre of her being that this is what she must do. Monique had killed too many people including her own family. Enough.
Jewel raised her hand and began to wave away the black orbs. Her Woden egg pulsed and she heard Monique laugh. And Jewel became angry. How dare Monique see this as a game. How dare she treat peoples lives with such disdain. Jewel called silver orbs to her and thin slivers of silver appeared and began to wrap themselves around each black orb. Each time a silver orb completely covered a black orb it exploded. All around were sounds of small explosions as the black orbs disappeared.
‘I will have your power.’ Monique called.
‘No.’ a single word from Jewel and she raised her hand. ‘I will have yours.’ There was a sound all around Jewel as if there had been a collective breath held and now released. ‘I take Monique’s power. All of it.’
But Monique continued to laugh. And, as Jewel began to take Monique’s power and disperse it, Monique stretched out her own hand. A burst of black light emanated from her hand and Jewel felt it pierce her rib cage. Jewel’s last command had been to take Monique’s power and she couldn’t open her mouth to issue another. The black light went immediately to her throat. With a growing sense of horror she felt Monique enter her body and swamp her. Jewel had a momentary sense of having eaten too much and, as Monique’s body slumped to the ground, Jewel was lost.
Anton. ANTON. ANTON!
Anton moved. Finally he could move and he realised that Monique had let him go. With terror he made himself look away from the shell that once contained Monique and towards his dear Jewel. His Jewel. The eyes that stared back at him were not Jewel’s. This then was why Monique had given him back his strength. To witness this. His Jewel. Lost. All innocence gone. All
purity lost. All joy drained. Jewel’s mouth. Her beautiful lips curled into a smile.
‘I have it all now.’ Jewel’s voice but not her words.
Anton knew what he had to do and that he had very little time in which to do it. It was only he that could. Soon Monique would be so strong as to take away all hope from this planet. He knew why he had the sword. Jewel’s body was half human after all. He sharply raised the sword and, with a single act, plunged it into her heart. The eyes looked at him in shock and he twisted the sword out and Jewel’s body dropped to the ground. As it continued to move he plunged the sword in again and again. Until there were eight wounds. And then the body stopped moving.
Anton sank to his knees. All orbs disappeared. No-one was left in the room. Just himself. A single tear formed on his eyelash.
Diana tripped as she was dancing. And she knew. Knew that her sister had died. The coven stopped the weaving dance and stood still. And Diana grew angry.
‘No. I will not have this.’ Her words rang out and she breathed deeply into her lungs to force energy behind her statements. ‘Jewel IS the Attrahere of The Wisdom Of All Ages. Do you really want that with anyone else?’
Silence followed her words. A bottomless silence that extended through aeons. ‘We asked and asked why Jewel drew the eight of swords. She worked hard. She changed and grew and used every part of her knowledge and who she is. Beyond that. I know she will have conquered evil.’ Diana took a deep breath. ‘You hear me and hear me well. This is a planet of life. You bring us our Attrahere back.’ And then Diana led her coven in song and dance.
All over the world the music, briefly stopped, became louder as more and more people joined in with the dance.
Anton stood up. He no longer wanted to be a part of this world. And then he saw. A silver orb hovered over Jewel’s body. And another and another until her body was completely surrounded by silver light. Jewel’s body became silver and then, like a bolt of lightening, the silver disappeared. Music played, bells rang and her eyes opened. ‘Jewel?’ Anton hardly dared to look at her.
Jewel’s hand moved and slowly she sat up.
‘Anton?’ Jewel stood up. ‘You said we would dance again.’ And Anton knew. Knew it was his Jewel. He reached out his hands and she took them.
Hand in hand they walked out of the house just as the first tendrils of dawn appeared on the horizon. As they walked along the street a bus drove past them and a car stopped by their side.
‘Would you like a lift home?’ Nik broad smile greeted them and they both climbed into the car. There was no need for any more words.
Epilogue
Nik walked towards where his Superior stood.
‘You took risks.’
‘Sir.’
‘All is well. However we need you to stay here longer.’
That was all Nik needed to hear. He really didn’t mind staying here longer.
The Ancient Ones rested.
The Wisdom Of All Ages stood on guard.
New prophecies were being written. A different destiny was now in place.
And, on Earth, Anton and Jewel danced.
The End
