Anni Moon & The Elemental Artifact: An Elemental Fantasy Adventure Series: Book For Kids Ages 9-12 (Anni Moon Series)

by Abed, Melanie

  “But…” said Lexi, her brow knitted. “How? Shouldn’t I remember getting it?”

  “No, my dear, because you were born with it, which is why you are so special. Your stone is not marked by a single Element as of yet; perhaps it will take time for you to discover which Element you are, and again, this is part of what makes you such a unique Elemental. Now, it’s time for me to tell you the parts of your life story that only I know….Teddy Waterstone, my great friend, had trusted me with certain secrets about you and your life as a kind of failsafe, just as he had many years ago when you were only an infant. Teddy’s intention was to hand you your Opus Stone on your thirteenth birthday, but alas, I am the one to deliver it. This may come as a shock, but Teddy is neither alive nor dead. He is trapped between the two; he has joined legions of Elementals stolen from us too soon.” Vidar turned to look at Anni when he said, “He is with Mabel.” Lexi and Anni stared at one another. “They are in a place you cannot travel to or save them from, but rest assured they are watching you, and they are with you.”

  Vidar paused. Anni was glad; she needed a moment. “Lexi, when is your birthday?”

  “June tenth,” said Lexi. “A day before Anni’s.”

  “That is incorrect,” said Vidar. “You were born on the twenty-first of June. Teddy entrusted me with a secret you do not know, one of your parentage. Have you ever heard about the story of the two great Elemental families? Those who would bear a child that would change and heal the overlap between the human and Elemental realms?”

  “Yes,” said Lexi. “Teddy told me when I was little. It’s a kind of fairy story, isn’t it?”

  Anni realized she knew something Lexi didn’t: it wasn’t a fairy story, it was part of the prophecy Brat had told her about. Only, Lexi’s comment ignited something from Anni’s own memory, one from her early childhood, when Mabel used to pull out a beautifully illustrated picture book, which Anni especially loved to look at; all the pages had gold leaf designs depicting the story about a legend of a lost prince in long need of saving and rescuing. Mabel used to joke, and tickle Anni as she said, “What if you save the prince?” and then they would laugh. Anni grew up and completely forgot about it, until now. Was that what Whiffle meant? Was she supposed to save this Prince?

  “Alas, it is not a fairy story,” Vidar continued. “It is believed that the prince still lives, stolen and hidden among the Fectus. We do not know where he is. The prince was given the name Eleck when he was born.” He grew serious. “A great gathering was to take place in honor of Eleck’s birth, a year after he was born on the Summer Solstice, in a location where all Elemental forces converged. Mabel Moon was the head of security for the Secret Elemental Council. She had a battalion of elite Elemental service guards on command. Even though she was expected to be present on the day of the ceremony celebrating Prince Eleck’s first birthday, Mabel had another mission: she sacrificed her honor to protect another child—you, Lexi. To all Elementalkind, that day was known as the Great Catastrophe, one of bloodshed and grief; thousands of lives were lost and all Elementalkind’s hope vanished along with Prince Eleck. In the end, Mabel was blamed for the breakdown of security, the loss of lives—Elemental and some human—and ultimately for Eleck’s kidnapping. Mabel spirited you, Lexi, away to Teddy, where you would grow up safely, as if you were a simple human. He raised you as an orphan with your friend Anni. Neither Teddy nor Mabel regretted their decisions, only, perhaps, with the exception of the isolation your secret caused you, and that they required you to keep your secret from everyone.”

  “Mabel did this because Lexi’s an Elemental?” asked Anni.

  “I don’t understand,” said Lexi. “Why would Mabel leave Prince Eleck to keep me safe? I’m not special or better than him.”

  Vidar looked at Lexi with compassionate eyes and said, “She did it because you are his equal, Lexi. Eleck is your twin brother.”

  A collective gasp punctuated Vidar’s words. Everyone stared at Lexi. Anni and Brat looked at one another with wide eyes, then at Vidar, Oliver, and Kuar. However, Lexi didn’t look at anyone except Anni, and only briefly.

  Judging by Lexi’s expression, Anni knew she needed time to digest this information.

  “Oliver, you were born a few years before Eleck and Lexi,” said Vidar. “The Auguriums had given you a vague prophecy that one day you might restore something to Elementalkind. Aside from returning the Ancient to us, I believe returning Lexi to the Elementals is a part of that.” Anni noted that Oliver’s cheeks flushed pink. “Do not be ashamed, boy, to claim ownership over your fate. Your parents are proud of you; you must see past your Uncle Ignacio’s pride.”

  Vidar’s last comment grabbed Anni as strange when he said your parents are proud; she thought Oliver’s parents died in the Great Catastrophe.

  “There is one more thing,” said Vidar, jolting Anni away from her thoughts. “By all accounts and definitions, Anni, you are a human. I can read it clearly in your energy fields, and yet there is one piece that puzzles me; a secret, a question that has gone unanswered by both Mabel and Teddy regarding you. I have kept their secret and I will share it now, as you have earned the right to know. However, I do not think it wise to share this with others outside these walls, with good reason.”

  Lexi glanced at Anni and said, “What is it?”

  “Anni, you were born on the same day as Eleck and Lexi, but as to your parentage, I know nothing. Only Mabel knew that answer, but she wouldn’t say, and Teddy did not know. What is puzzling is that you were born in the same manner and fashion as an Elemental, on Mineralstone Isle, but you were born a human. I have little else to share, and I would honor the fact that Mabel and Teddy did not share your true birth date with anyone else. I suggest you keep this a secret.”

  Now everyone was staring at Anni. She didn’t know what to make of it, except she understood how Lexi felt. Even though it left her with even more questions, Anni liked the idea that it made her and Lexi closer. Chief Vidar’s silence indicated he had little left to share, and before he retired, Anni privately asked him to step aside.

  Thinking about what Whiffle had said to her earlier, she said, “Maybe you will know what to do with this.” Anni pulled out the stolen Golden Elemental Bee Artifact from her pocket and handed it over to Vidar. “I found it—”

  “Ah, I see,” said Vidar, looking at Anni with more interest than before. “You’ve surprised me again, Miss Moon. Rest assured, I can see that it will be returned to its rightful place. I imagine you have questions. Do you know what it means? What it represents?”

  “The prophecy.” Anni shrugged. “And it’s a symbol for the body Elemental.”

  “Yes, that is true.” Vidar chuckled. “The Bee is our greatest symbol, one of transformation, wisdom, mystery and secrets.” He pointed to the artifact. “These two bees represent community, working together for the greater good, but also it signifies a call to action. After the Great Catastrophe, Elementals forgot to hope, to dream, or to forge a different future where they can evolve. There is a group of Elementals who guard these secrets, and I believe they wanted to remind the Elemental community of its importance again. Even you must have seen this image in the Elemental world more than once?”

  “It was plastered all over news articles in shops on the Zephyr, and in LimBough. Why does that matter?”

  “It matters because imagery is a powerful device. It’s a reminder of change, and that change is inevitable. The Bee means something more, something that cannot be forgotten, no matter how many times it is banned. The act of burying truths only urges others to uncover it, like the lotus seed, which always finds the light even in the darkest of murky waters. The Bee is the center of our collective soul, too potent and powerful to forget.” Vidar paused and looked at Anni kindly. “You found this artifact, which means that in some way, your life, your journey is woven into the fabric of the Elemental fate.”

  It was well past midnight before Anni and Lexi reached their beds, high atop the trees where
the air was surprisingly warm and where their quarters were the most guarded. They fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows. It was a restful sleep for a change, and Anni was glad for it.

  The next day was the Summer Solstice, June twenty-first. Before they left, Vidar presented Anni, Lexi, Brat and Oliver each a fresh green leaf from the Sleeping Tree and told them that keeping it on them would grant them safe passage, and if ever in the future they were ever lost, the leaf would help them find their way. He opened a very special portal for them inside the throne room, and all four of them embarked at once. It was a very short trip. They exited directly through a huge round hedge in the middle of an enormous garden. Oliver walked out first. He checked the perfectly manicured rows of robust circular hedges. Humans were milling about on the neat, white, graveled walkways.

  “Where are we now?” asked Lexi.

  “Moppins, this is Kensington Park,” said Brat. “We’re in London.”

  Oliver didn’t stop. He walked toward a grand brick building with long paned windows at the end of the path. They followed him.

  “We have a meeting inside. Wait here.” Oliver disappeared inside for a few minutes and then returned a moment later. “He’s waiting for you three. Last table at the end.”

  “Who’s waiting for us?” asked Anni.

  Oliver didn’t answer. He ushered them inside past several tables—some empty, some full—until they reached the last one at the end next to a potted citrus tree, where a man sat alone with his back to them. Oliver left them there, which Anni supposed was for privacy, but she didn’t need to guess who the man was once she caught sight of his khaki pants that were too short for his long legs.

  Lexi ran to Egbert and hugged him tightly. Anni stood speechless. A small part of her assumed maybe he was guilty of kidnapping Lexi, but now, that didn’t seem right.

  Brat nudged Anni. “Told you he wasn’t guilty.”

  “Lexi,” said Egbert, brow furrowed. “I failed you, and Teddy and Mabel by not keeping you safe. I will endeavor to make it up to you in time.”

  “I’m fine Egbert, really,” said Lexi. “Anni found me. I’m safe now.”

  Anni coughed.

  “Please sit down, all of you. Our time will be short….” Egbert turned to Anni and sighed. “I suppose I should congratulate you. You’ve accomplished, in record time, what many could not. You found Lexi before any serious harm came to her…And now, both of you know about our world. I would have preferred if you learned the details a different way, but that was my fault. I trusted the wrong person.”

  “I told you about Finnegan,” said Anni, finding her voice. “They arrested him.”

  “Still rash to judge?” Egbert raised his brow. “I can see why you thought so.” He exhaled. “But I’m afraid you have it wrong again. Finnegan was taken into custody for Lexi’s kidnapping, and although he appeared guilty, it wasn’t him. I trusted someone else…the wrong person, it seems.” Egbert paused. His gaze drifted out the lead windowpanes. Anni risked looking into his weary eyes. She noticed an egg-shaped bubble around his body; the field around his body was heavily protected like a shield of armor, guarding him in the same way she always sensed but had never seen before.

  Anni finally understood what Whiffle had sacrificed: the ability to see what humans do not. Vision was a gift of the Wood Element: however, this didn’t make her an Elemental, and just as soon as she realized she could do it, the power disappeared.

  Egbert cleared his throat. “Even so, Anni, your reckless behavior…You forget that you are only a child, and I feel justified in asking Oliver to keep an eye on you. What you faced could have easily brought your short life to an end. Here, I thought I placed you far enough away from trouble. Clearly, I underestimated you.”

  “Egbert,” said Lexi. “If it wasn’t Finnegan, who was it?”

  “Zelda,” Egbert said flatly. Anni gasped; she couldn’t believe it. “Zelda Scurryfunge, right under my nose, the whole time disguised as a flibbertigibbet. She’s a terrific actress, I’ll give her that, but someone else had to be working with her. I don’t know who. They addled Finnegan’s mind; that’s no small thing. He’ll be spending some time in treatment at a high-security Elofficial facility.”

  “Orge Murdrock,” said Lexi. “He’s part of the Fectus. I saw him there.”

  Anni and Brat both gasped.

  “Was he the one on that creepy, jumping throne of bones?” asked Anni.

  “No.” Lexi shuddered. “That was the Naga Yaga.”

  Egbert folded his arms and leaned back in his chair like he was thinking; he raised his hand to his head. “I’m not surprised to hear this. Mabel and Teddy did not trust him, even though they ordered me to sell Waterstone Academy to the Murdrocks.”

  “They did?” asked Anni as Lexi made a small noise.

  “Don’t ask me why, but now you know what we’re up against. In fact, never, ever discuss this publicly, and use every ounce of caution, understood?” The girls nodded. “What happened to you both has changed everything. You cannot return to your previous life in Chicago, especially now that the Fectus knows about Lexi. Waterstone Academy is closed and unsafe at this time. You will return with Oliver. Moon Zephyr is your new home.”

  Anni felt a rush of conflicted emotions. “Aren’t you coming, too?”

  Egbert looked apathetic. “I sincerely doubt you will be disappointed once you return. Maeleachlainn’s under Elofficium review, and Vivian Sugar will become your new voucher, Anni, but I don’t like her, as you well know. Nevertheless, I would advise the both of you to be careful in whom you choose to trust.” Egbert looked directly at Anni when he added, “No matter how you feel about them. We need to cut this short. I need to be going.”

  “Just like that? How about I’m glad you’re alive? Or thanks for saving Lexi?”

  Egbert stared at Anni. “Half of the time, I don’t even think you listen at all….There is very little I can do at this point to change the course of events.” He turned to Lexi and said, “Now that you are safe, I must inform those who need to know you exist, just one of my last promises to Mabel that I must fulfill. First, I need to gather proof of your lineage, which is why you won’t see me for some time. I must do this before I submit myself for review with the Elofficials; they still believe I am guilty.”

  A rare gentleness washed over Egbert’s face that eased his habitually stiff posture. “Sometimes, we need to allow others to think of us as they will.” He looked up at Anni with fresh eyes. “Moons are protectors, guardians of things and of people, but our purpose is ours alone to discover. Remember, if Elementals are unkind to you, Anni, it’s probably more your association to me and Mabel more than it is you.” He looked at his Omninav. “Now, it’s time for you both to leave. Elofficials are on their way. Brat, just a quick word.”

  Lexi stood and hooked her arm through Anni’s. It was time to go, but Anni felt like there was so much left unsaid. Brat carefully listened to Egbert’s whispered instructions as they turned to leave. Oliver eyed them from the hostess stand, looking serious.

  When Anni reached the front door, she glanced back one last time before they exited the Orangery. Brat swooped overhead, making customers shriek with fright. Egbert stood next to a potted citrus tree. In that brief glimpse, she thought his face looked caring, loving—if that was even possible.

  “Last stop, Moon Zephyr,” said Oliver.

  They hurried to a gap in the round hedge. It led straight to LimBough. Anni didn’t fully understand the bit about Moons being protectors, but perhaps one day someone would explain. She had to get used to Lexi being an Elemental, but for now, all she cared about was having her best friend back. Anni enjoyed all of Lexi’s varied reactions as they traveled through LimBough. Her only regret was that they couldn’t spend more time delighting their senses, oohing and awing at everything LimBough had to offer.

  A lemon-yellow sky welcomed them as they exited the Orb. It wasn’t Waterstone Academy. It wasn’t the Edgewater. But the Moo
n Zephyr felt familiar all the same.

  As they walked across the long bridge, massive crowds gathered along the Lake’s borders. A grin crept across Anni’s face once she realized that the Elementals were yelling Oliver’s name and waving banners.

  “He’s their hero,” she said to Lexi in her funniest voice.

  “I heard that,” said Oliver. “And thank you for pointing that out. I’m glad that at least one of us can find the humor in this situation.”

  “Well, you are,” said Anni, refusing to hide the joy she felt.

  “You should know that when we get to the bridge’s end, I have strict orders to keep a closer eye on you, and I plan on getting to the bottom of what I can’t remember.”

  “Great. Like I didn’t know that already.” She rolled her eyes and shrugged it off.

  As they made it closer to the bridge’s end, Anni took Lexi’s hand and held it up. The crowd roared and the girls laughed. Brat did a few loops in the air, and said to them, “Look! One-eyed Nimmy is out and about, too. Moppins, what a gathering.”

  Daphne and Squirt were jumping up and down and yelling their names. Anni pointed out her new friends to Lexi, starting with Fortensia and One-eyed Nimmy sitting on her shoulder, Jay, several skurfers, Mackenzie, Diana, Yugi, and Ms.

  OggleBoggle, but she was delighted when she saw the next person in line.

  “Is that?” asked Lexi, surprised. “It is.”

  Vivian Sugar smiled and waved alongside everyone else. Anni instantly felt lighter.

  Even though the vast majority of Elementals were there for Oliver, just seeing all the Elementals who were there to see Lexi made her heart soar. Anni raised her hands to her cheeks, which hurt from so much smiling; she found that they were wet with tears. Lexi put her arm around her and squeezed her tight. Whatever Egbert said about Moons being protectors, there was one thing she knew: Lexi had saved her, too, and she couldn’t wait to introduce Lexi to everyone.

  Perhaps for now they couldn’t go back to their old life at Waterstone Academy, but maybe they were exactly where they were supposed to be. Reunited with Lexi, and her new friends, Anni couldn’t remember being as happy as she was in that moment. It was just like what Effie OggleBoggle had said about connecting the dots; Anni followed them and now she was home.