by Graci Kim
My eyes move up to the sky and I freeze. The moon is as red as a tomato.
“Guys,” I call out. “Look up. The moon is bleeding.”
Emmett wolf-whistles. “Wow, yeah, that’s a blood moon, all right. It’s the sign of a lunar eclipse. What a beauty.”
Hattie joins us in studying the sky. “That’s funny—I was just reading about a solar eclipse that happened in New Zealand today. You know, when the sun goes completely black, not red. What are the chances…?”
Emmett shakes his head. “You must have read it wrong. You can’t have both a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse on the same day. It’s impossible.”
Hattie frowns. “But I’m sure it was in today’s news.”
Emmett crosses his arms. “Dude, do you know how much Battle Galactic I play? Our squad is the best in the galaxy, and I know space like the back of my hand.”
Hattie raises her eyebrows.
“Em’s obsessed with that game,” I explain. “You know, the one that’s like Fortnite Battle Royale but set in space? It’s turned Emmett into a total astronomy geek.”
I leave Hattie and Emmett to argue it out, and I walk toward the water, mesmerized by the way the moon paints a crimson glow over the Pacific. This is going to sound odd, but sometimes the sky makes me feel a bit…well, sad. Like when you forget something you know was important, but no matter how hard you try, you can’t remember it.
“Anyway,” Hattie says, coming over. She holds up the chalice and Noah’s knife. “Back to the plan. This is how we’re gonna do this. I’ll take Emmett’s ring and—”
“You won’t forget what I showed you, right?” Emmett asks from behind us. He twists the ring nervously around his finger. “How you have to open the compartment gently so it doesn’t break?”
“I’ll be careful,” Hattie assures him. “I know how important it is to you.”
Emmett nods but looks nervous. He takes a cookie out of his backpack and nibbles on it to calm himself.
“Like I was saying,” said Hattie, “I’ll take Emmett’s ring, and once I’m in the water, I’ll activate my Gi, cut my palm, collect the blood in the chalice, sprinkle in the ashes, and then recite the incantations. Sound like a plan?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. It basically sounds like Hattie is doing everything while Emmett and I sit around and watch. This should not be a spectator sport.
“I’ll go into the water with you,” I offer. “You don’t even like the ocean, and you might get caught in a riptide. I’m a better swimmer than you.”
She nods gratefully and passes me the chalice. “Thanks, Rye.”
Emmett passes his ring to Hattie. “Protect it with your life.”
She puts it on her finger. Then, holding hands, my sister and I step into the surf.
The water is freezing, which shouldn’t surprise me, since I’ve grown up swimming in the Pacific (it’s always colder than you think). But it’s not every day I go for a dip in the middle of the night, and we both shiver as we wade in up to our knees. By the time we get chest-deep, the current picks up, and my sweater billows around me as if it’s desperately trying to swim. If I’d known ahead of time we’d have to go into the ocean, I would’ve made us wear wet suits. Hattie’s gorgeous ceremony dress is going to get trashed. I check the shoreline, and Emmett is looking at us nervously. He’s standing a safe distance from Boris.
We’ve got this, I tell myself.
Hattie takes a big breath and rubs her wrists together. As her gifted mark activates, she flips open the Swiss knife and holds it in front of her open palm. “I can do this,” she says confidently.
I’m sure she can—Hattie is the bravest person I know. But it still doesn’t make it any easier seeing her hurt herself for a spell I need.
“I can do this,” she says again. But this time, she doesn’t sound as confident. She remains still and stares intently at her hands. Then I hear her say something so quietly, I’m not sure if I imagined it. “How do I do this?”
“If you want,” I say softly, “I could help you.”
She doesn’t answer for a while, but eventually she whispers, “Yes, I think that would be best.” She hands me the knife and takes the chalice. “You don’t have to be scared of hurting me, okay? Just do it, and do it fast.” Her voice is steady, but I can see fear in her eyes now.
I turn the knife in my hand a few times to make sure I have good control over it. “How about we count down together from five?”
She nods. “Okay.”
“Five. Four. Thr—”
Before she can register what’s happening, I quickly run the knife across her palm. She lets out a yelp, and I drop the knife in the water. I cup my hands around her palm and help pool the blood into the chalice.
“You did it,” I whisper.
“Thank you,” Hattie says, still wincing from the pain.
As her blood drips into the chalice, I slip Emmett’s ring from Hattie’s finger. Under the eerie red moonlight, I can just make out the secret compartment on the inside.
“There’s a little tab you twist to open it,” Hattie explains. “Don’t turn it too far.”
It’s finicky work, but I manage to empty the ring’s contents into the chalice before returning it to Hattie’s finger.
“It’s showtime,” she says.
She closes her eyes and starts reciting the incantations Noah taught her.
Immediately, there is a change in the atmosphere and a suffocating thickness to the air. I clutch at my chest, trying to catch my breath. A fierce gust blows in from the Pacific, splashing sea spray into my eyes. I cover my face. When I can see again, my sister is floating facedown in the water in front of me.
“Hattie? Hattie!”
In a frenzy, I wade to her, and turn her over. She looks unconscious. I grab her by the armpits and start pulling her back toward shore. The wild waves try to swallow us, but I body-block them with all my strength. Emmett runs into the water, and somehow, together, we carry Hattie’s limp body to the beach. We lay her on the sand, and I drop to my knees over her soaked, still form. I put my hand on the side of her neck, feeling for a pulse. I think it’s there….
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
“Rye, she’s not breathing!” Emmett cries. “We need a healer!”
Never in my life have I been so helpless. I’m not a Gom! What’s the point of knowing all the words to the spells when I can’t use them to save Hattie? It feels like someone is punching my chest, over and over again, and I can’t remember how to breathe.
“Stuff it!” Emmett screams, taking out his phone. “I’m calling nine-one-one!”
The prospect of explaining this disaster to a saram police officer breaks me out of my daze. I crouch down over Hattie’s face and start giving her mouth-to-mouth. Last summer, when Appa suggested I take a first-aid course, I’d sulked for a week. Who wants to learn modern medicine when you can learn magic? But right now, as I pinch Hattie’s nose and breathe into her mouth, I’m so grateful I did.
“Ugh, my phone’s dead!” Emmett cries, repeatedly hitting the blank screen with his finger. He eventually gives up and drops onto the sand next to me. “Please tell me the CPR is working.”
I shake my head as a dam of tears explodes behind my eyes. I know my technique is right, but Hattie’s eyes remain closed and her body is still. “It’s no use!” I cry hysterically.
“Oh, bother. Where did my kitchen go?” I hear someone say.
My eyes flit up toward the voice, and my eyebrows furrow together. I don’t know where she came from, but a frumpy middle-aged woman with frizzy hair has appeared on the beach in front of us. Her knitted vest looks dated, and—I won’t lie—she smells a little like mothballs. But she has a soft, kindly face, and she’s carrying a soup ladle covered with an oily red sauce. There’s a picture of Winnie the Pooh on her apron with the line I’M SO RUMBLY IN MY TUMBLY, which is also covered in red stains.
“
Who are you?” Emmett splutters.
My mind reels. “Ma…Mago Halmi, is that you?” Did the summoning spell actually work? Could this Korean Mrs. Weasley really be the mother of all creation?
The woman laughs heartily, and the red moon pulsates in the sky, as if chortling with her. “By golly, no. I’m old, but I’m not that old.” She waves her saucy ladle in the air. “I was just whipping up a low-calorie spicy tofu stew.” She pats her stomach. “I’m on a diet, you see—too many indulgent initiation ceremonies of late. But then I heard one of my baby subjects summon me, so here I am, ladle and all.”
I study the woman again from head to toe. If Hattie didn’t summon Mago Halmi, then who did she summon?
“I do love those honey-drizzled rice cakes, though,” she muses. “And I am partial to a good vintage rice wine on occasion.” She looks dreamily into the distance.
Indulgent initiation ceremonies. Honey-drizzled rice cakes. Rice wine. It all reminds me of Hattie’s ceremony, when the delicious food offerings disappeared into the Godrealm.
Suddenly, it dawns on me.
“Cave Bear Goddess?” I whisper.
The woman smiles warmly and tips her head. “At your service.”
I let out a series of loud hiccups, and I clamp my mouth shut with both hands. Whoa. The patron goddess of service and sacrifice—the divine ancestor of my clan—is here, breathing the same air as me. I picture her golden statue at the temple, with its long neck, silken hair, and youthful glow….
“You’re not how I imagined you,” I blurt out. The shimmery golden hue to her skin is the only thing that looks familiar.
She chuckles and her soft belly jiggles with the movement. “I presume you mean the statue?” She winks at me. “The good thing about art, my dearie, is that it does not have to be accurate.”
As the initial shock of seeing our patron goddess wears off, I realize this is not the time for small talk. “Benevolent goddess,” I say urgently, “we need your help.” I put my hand on Hattie’s unmoving arm. “We were trying to summon Mago Halmi, but something went wrong, and my sister…She…She’s not…” I break into another bout of tears.
“Shh, be calm, my child. I am here. Dry your tears. There’s no reason to cry.” The goddess drops her ladle, wipes her hands on her apron, and places one hand on my head. Suddenly, a calmness washes over me. It’s as if she has physically lifted the prickly weight that was pressing on my chest.
“Goddess,” I try again, “I will do anything you ask. Please, will you use your divine power to heal my sister? She was only trying to help me, and now she’s…she’s…” I trail off.
The goddess crouches down next to me and cracks her knuckles. “Well, now, let’s see what we’ve got here.” She places her hand on Hattie’s heart, then lets out a loud sigh. “Tsk-tsk, she overexerted herself, I see. A baby witch shouldn’t be performing such demanding spells. And prohibited ones, at that.” She raises her eyebrow at Emmett and me, and we both look away.
“Will she be okay?” I ask, the heaviness returning to my chest. “You can heal her, right?”
The goddess looks from Hattie to Emmett to me. She pauses thoughtfully. Then she scratches her chin and speaks. “First, my dearies, do me a favor, won’t you? Tell me why you were wanting an audience with the Mother.”
I think on my feet. If I tell her the truth, Emmett will find out about my Horangi heritage, and that’s the last thing I can deal with right now. Not when we need to save Hattie. My lying streak is just going to have to continue for the time being.
“The truth is, Goddess, my adoptive parents are being charged with the crime of protecting me because I am a saram. I wanted to summon Mago Halmi so I could ask her—like you did once—to be reborn, but as a Gom.” I wipe my eyes and get on my knees. “But now, none of that matters. All that matters is that my sister be okay again. Please, Goddess, I beg of you, please help us save her. I’ll do anything you ask. Anything.”
The goddess pats my back. “What a burden you have been carrying, child. I’m sorry you are hurting. But I admire your honesty. It’s not an easy currency to come by in these troubled times.”
I wince. Honesty is not a virtue I can claim today.
“Unfortunately, I am not allowed to interfere in issues of the Mortalrealm. Mother Mago’s rules.” She looks sadly at Hattie. “As much of a shame as it would be to lose a baby witch—”
“But you must!” I plead, the hysteria building inside me again. “This is all my fault. She wasn’t supposed to get—”
She holds up her open hand. “Let me finish.”
I snap my mouth shut.
“I am moved by your love for your sister. I also have sisters—five of them, in fact. And I, too, would stop at nothing to protect their interests.” She affectionately traces Hattie’s face with her fingers before addressing me again. “Like I said, I’m not allowed to interfere. But since I was summoned, I can offer you a job. And jobs, my dearie, must be compensated, even under Godrealm law. Would you be interested in doing a wee task for me?”
“Yes!” I shout. “Whatever you need!”
The goddess claps, and the moon flickers bright like a ruby. “Wonderful! All you need to do is find me the Godrealm’s last fallen star. It’s a piece of my world that doesn’t belong here. While it can only enhance beauty in the Godrealm, on Earth it can grant its user divine power. That power has driven humans mad with greed and wrought only destruction and despair. I want to remove this evil from your world. If you bring the star to me, I will reward you.” She smiles at me. “You, my child, will be reborn in my image—as a Gom and a healer. And I will restore your sister’s life. This I promise you.”
Emmett squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back with all my might. I have no idea what the Godrealm’s fallen stars are, what they look like, or how we’d go about finding the last one. We are completely out of our depth, and I am terrified. But right now, all that matters is Hattie. And if we have a chance to save her, we must take it.
“I accept!” I blurt out, figuring the goddess will supply more details. “I will find the Godrealm’s last fallen star and bring it to you.”
The goddess grabs her ladle and jumps up to her feet. “Well, isn’t that delightful news!”
“But how will we find you once we have it?” Emmett asks. His voice is trembling, but I’m glad he had the guts to ask, because it’s a good question. Without Hattie, we won’t be able to summon the goddess again.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little heads about that,” says the Cave Bear Goddess. “I will find you.”
She lifts her sand-covered ladle to the sky, and Hattie’s limp body rises from the ground and levitates. “I will take your witch with me for now, for safekeeping, but leave you with a memento of her. However, you should know, the Godrealm is no place for a wee mortal, even if she is a witch. She won’t last long there. When your time is up, the memento will help me locate you.”
The goddess snaps her fingers, and suddenly Hattie’s body disappears into the night air. Emmett and I gasp and leap to our feet.
“Wait…How long—?” I start.
“Well, I’d better be going now,” she says. And, as if on cue, her stomach rumbles. “My stew awaits. But it was a treat meeting you today. I really mean that. And I will see you two very soon.” She gives us a little wave of her ladle, and then just like that, she vanishes, too.
“But you didn’t…” I look at where she was standing a moment ago, and my mind reels. “Em, can you believe—”
But Emmett’s eyes are locked on a spot on the beach.
I follow his gaze and drop to my knees. Something under the sand is glowing.
“What is it?” I dig inside Hattie’s still-fresh outline.
Emmett picks up a small, dark object. “My ring’s here, but I don’t know what that is.”
I keep digging. My fingers land on something hard. I brush off the sand and hold it up to the moonlight. It’s a glass vial, small enough to fit in my palm.
And whatever is inside is beating.
I gasp, nearly dropping it back onto the sand. Floating inside the clear glass is a miniature human organ, veined and bloody and pumping steadily.
“What is it?” Emmett bites his lip so hard, a drop of blood blooms on it. “It looks like—”
“A heart. It looks like a heart,” I whisper, the words sticking in my throat.
“Ugh!” Emmett shrieks. “But how? Why?”
“The goddess said she’d leave a memento of Hattie with us. This must be it.”
Emmett undoes his black cord necklace and throws it at me. “Here, use this.”
I tie the cord around the contoured nape of the vial and put it around my neck. Hattie’s shrunken heart hangs like a pendulum next to my own, and suddenly it all hits me like a ton of bricks.
“Em,” I whisper, my voice hard and jagged, “if we can’t find the last fallen star, and fast, Hattie will be gone forever.” I pause. “And it will be all my fault.”
A gull squawks in the distance as it flies across the blood moon, and I look up at the sky, terrified.
What in the three realms have we gotten ourselves into?
“WE HAVE TO TELL YOUR PARENTS,” Emmett says, gripping my shoulders tight. “This is officially too big for us to handle by ourselves. We need help.”
“No!”
He raises his eyebrows at my sudden outburst. “But why? Even you have to admit we’re out of our depth here.”
I look down at my hands. He doesn’t know I come from the cursed clan. If the adults found out Hattie had been carted off to another realm after illegally trying to summon Mago Halmi on my behalf, it would just prove everything the council has been saying about me. I have to show them I’m not a rebel. I’m the opposite—I want to fit in. If we can find the last fallen star, not only will we get Hattie back, I will be turned into a real Gom, too.
