Guardian of the Moon Pendant

by Laura J Williams

  “Good. Now tell me why my Guardian isn’t prepared, Harriet!” argued Granny disappointed.

  “Izzy was supposed to...”

  “Don’t you go and blame this one on, Izzy!” remarked Granny cutting mother off.

  “You had to go and die, Mother!” snipped Harriet irritably. “Now, she’s bloody stuck with that pendant.”

  My head was foggy, but I figured they were arguing about me. I shifted under the duvet and let out a soft moan in protest.

  “Smack her in the head, Plumface,” ordered Granny. “Maybe that’ll wake her up!”

  “Just a wee tiny love pat,” insisted my mother.

  “Smack her good!” Granny added.

  A tiny hand slapped my cheek hard, trying to snap me out of my delirium, its strike hot, stinging my skin. I cowered under my covers, shivering, wanting it to stop.

  “You were supposed to send me an heir that was prepared!” demanded Granny.

  “She's pre-med and a bloody black belt!” replied mother, her voice getting higher and higher.

  “How many times do I have to tell you, Harriet? It’s not about their damn accomplishments! It’s what’s in one’s heart! Look at you!”

  My mother’s voice growled, “I WAS AMBUSHED!”

  “And so you ran.”

  “They came from bloody everywhere!” My mother paused, taking in a long winded breath. “I did what I needed to do... to protect my family.”

  “Facing your fears, my dear, is how one protects one’s family!”

  The arguing trailed off, and I was finally left alone.

  The shape-shifting nightmares of pointy nosed faeries soon faded. I drifted in and out of a deep slumber, my head filling up with a sugary voice singing in my head, it floated into my room like a soft breeze, nudging me to wake up out of the dream.

  I rose out of my bed, searching for the wistful voice beckoning me, my feet barefoot and cold, tip-toeing across the planked floor, my frail body standing before the chilled window, my fingers wiping away the dew, its glass frosty to the touch. Staring out the window I was mesmerized by what I saw.

  An ethereal woman stood beyond the MääGord standing stones, a translucent light enshrouding her, her silvery white aura captivating me, her lithe body floating in the breeze like an angel.

  I journeyed out of the farmhouse, hypnotized by her beauty, effortlessly scaling the grassy hillside barefoot. She spoke to me in my mind, whispering things, calling me to come closer.

  I stood before her, a celestial being from another world, her lunar eyes leveled on me, twinkling, greeting me to her presence, her skin pale and bloodless, a soft light illuminating from within her, her emerald gown billowing in the wind.

  Her delicate hand cradled my face. “Such a pretty,” she purred, “weak, child.”

  I ran the tips of my fingers over the Moon Pendant, a sense of dread rushing over me.

  “Your burden is heavy,” she whispered, angling her head, studying the Moon Pendant.

  I opened my mouth to speak, trying to force myself to answer her. It dropped open, dry, except for a speckle of foam on my lips, and still nothing came out.

  “The Moon Pendant is tricky,” she said with an edge to her voice, her thin finger lingering on my chest, stroking the pendant, adoringly. “You see, it needs your blood.” She leaned toward me, inhaling the air around the Moon Pendant as if it had a scent. She pulled away, her nostrils flaring, her pupils dilated, and her irises moon-like, “to keep it alive.”

  Two men appeared behind her from the mist, pale warriors from another time, dressed in shredded tartans, their eyes empty and colorless, their sharp claws sensuously stroking her long locks, awaiting her next command.

  “It comes from very old magic,” she continued, her finger lifting up my chin, studying my face. “I see your mother in you.” She smirked with a glimmer of pride in her eyes, “‘Tis a pity she had to take your father away. He was one of my favorites.”

  A chill ran down my spine. How did she know my mother and father?

  “I believe the realm of man and the realm of the Fae should be separate don’t you?”

  I nodded a hypnotic, ‘yes.’

  “I’m happy we agree,” she beamed, declaring. “For, I will always secure the Fae’s future. It is my most beloved obligation.”

  My voice finally released a forced squeak. “Yes.”

  “Glorious!”

  Suddenly, the two scourged warriors circled me from behind, their decomposing arms latching onto my elbows, squeezing them behind my back, locking me securely into place, their icy cold hands clamping onto my bare skin.

  I was lulled in by her beauty, but now a spark of panic ignited deep inside my body. I began to fear for my life. My body jerked violently, trying desperately to break free from their clutch, twisting and turning, straining to get away, wanting to scream, but my voice fell mute.

  She licked her lips, an evil scowl quivering over them, “Such a pretty neck you have.”

  One of the zombie-like warriors hooked his diseased fingers into my hair, yanking it back sharply, baring the curved arch of my neck, thin and delicate. He waited for his orders like a good warrior.

  Straining, I peered down at the woman, her body hunched over and writhing wildly, contorting itself into a different form, joints twisting and popping, limbs elongating, breaking bones, crackling hooves pushing through her feet, her body hurling back to face me, her eyes animalistic.

  Her spiny nails inched closer to my neck, seeking out the Moon Pendant, her nails long hollow tubes, outstretched from her fingertips, sharp and ready to slice her treasure off my neck. Her lips curled into a quivering sneer, exposing her sharp fangs, her talon-like nails lancing toward my throat as she swayed her weapons above my neck. “Time to pay, MacAlpin,” she growled, while two of her nails pricked at my neck and tugged at the Moon Pendant.

  My eyes bulged.

  A sudden burst of cool air shot across my face. Out of the darkness, a glistening sword cut through the night’s damp air, its steel blade slicing off two of the creature’s knifelike nails, her blood spurting everywhere, spattering onto my face. The creature howled in pain, her body crumpling over on top of her wounds, trying to stop the blood loss.

  The Highlander appeared out of nowhere, rescuing me once again, wrenching the zombie-like warriors off me bare fisted.

  “Get him,” ordered the creature, scurrying away into the shadows, her body exploding into a cloud of black smoke.

  Her two zombie-warriors growled at the Highlander, their gnarled hands drawing out their double-edged blades, slowly sidestepping around him, one on each side.

  The Highlander swung his sword through the air, steel meeting steel, his boot kicked out, slamming one in his gut, whirling around, his claymore slicing the other’s cankerous arm off. It didn’t bleed. The unphazed zombie warrior just stood there in amazement, staring at his extremity lying in the blades of grass. Finally, he saw a dribble of dark green blood, oozing from where the Highlander’s blade had chopped his arm off from his shoulder.

  He gave a cheeky smile, flashing his rotten teeth.

  The Highlander’s brawny arms arched back and in one swift motion, severed the puckish zombie’s head off from his decomposing neck. It rolled down the grassy hillside, bouncing up high as it hit a few scattered rocks.

  The second zombie-warrior hissed at the Highlander, his crooked fangs flaring, and then swiftly scampered off into the dark shadows of the night, searching for his master.

  My body shivered inside, staring at the powerful Highlander before me, my mouth hanging wide open, not knowing what to say.

  He stood about six feet four inches, maybe more. All I knew is that I had to tilt my head back pretty far to get a full view of this commanding Herculean man. This was the second time he saved me. I couldn’t get a grasp of the full picture. He was some sort of dreamy Highlander, who just happen to show up when I was about to die?

  His hand reached down to me as I lay on the ground
. “Guardian,” he said. I felt an intense surge of heat flutter throughout my skin as he pulled me to my feet.

  Hastily, I smoothed my hair back and dusted myself off, feeling a bit uncomfortable. “You keep saving me,” I said timidly, still absolutely flabbergasted at what happened.

  His finger lifted my chin up to meet his brilliant blue eyes. “‘Tis my job, Guardian,” he said sincerely.

  My heart gushed.

  Think of Edgar, think of Edgar, echoed in my head and quickly turned into my new mantra.

  “Your job?” I asked flatly, trying not to stare at his dimpled chin. Oh, how I loved a good dimpled chin. Edgar, unfortunately, had a flat chin. That’s good; I thought to myself, I’m thinking of Edgar. Stay focused. I must be strong and in control. Think of Edgar, Think of Edgar!

  He arched his back, broadening his muscular chest. “I am Blane, a Sentinel of Light,” he said grinning craftily as if I were the nutty one not knowing what a Sentinel of Light was?

  “A Sentinel of..?” I repeated, furrowing my brow, my fingers rolling over my engagement ring trying to think of Edgar.

  “Of Light.” As he finished my sentence, his warm arm wrapped around my shoulder, guided me down the heather covered hillside toward Granny’s farmhouse. “I am here to protect the Guardian of the Moon Pendant.”

  “You’re here to protect me?” I said, realizing my engagement ring was now engorged into my puffy skin. I must’ve gotten bloated from all that green grog they were force feeding me.

  “Aye, Anabel. I have protected all of the Guardians throughout the centuries. I was commissioned by Danú herself to watch the MääGord standing stones and this region’s Portal.”

  Wow, a Sentinel of Light, a great brawny Highlander here to protect me, and only me. I sighed dreamily.

  Think of Edgar!

  “So you’re kind of a stalker?” I said, fiddling with my engagement ring, twisting it back and forth around my swollen finger.

  “I doona know what a...” Blane paused for a moment.

  “A stalker,” I said, filling in his words.

  “Aye, a stalker,” he continued, “I doona know what that is, lass.”

  “It means…” I said grunting, struggling to get my engagement ring off.

  My heart sank. I knew I’m supposed to think of Edgar, but my engagement ring was starting to cut the circulation off on my ring finger. I needed to get it off now! I’m sure Edgar wouldn’t mind, if he knew I was in serious pain.

  “That you follow someone around without them knowing,” I continued, “sort of obsessed with them.”

  “Let me, lass,” Blane offered, holding the palm of his hand out.

  I blinked at him, not knowing what he wanted me to do.

  “Give us yer hand, lass,” he said blue eyes glittering.

  I placed my hand in his, trembling, a chill slithered up the nape of my neck. He licked the pad of his thumb, covering it with saliva, and then tenderly rolled it over my engagement ring, slowly sliding it off.

  His eyes swept over me with a flirtatious smile.

  I swallowed hard, staring at him wide-eyed, my heart hammering away, melting from his touch.

  Think of Edgar! Think of…

  ♦

  Blane escorted me into the living room, a soft amber light burned within the logs, his strong hand cradling the small of my back. Granny’s phantomlike spirit wisped through the wall, greeting us closed lipped, her energy swelling with tendrils of neon ectoplasm, curling up behind her.

  “I see you’ve met, Lainahwyn,” stated Granny, floating behind a squishy chair, her voice agitated. “Mindless girl, what were you thinking?”

  “What was she?” I asked, hoping not to answer Granny’s question.

  “A Baobhan Sith,” declared Blane, “a vampiric faery that haunts these lands.”

  “I’ve never seen such a beastly thing,” I remarked, wrinkling my nose as I watched the chair swivel around.

  She sat nestled between its cushions, legs crossed, picking at her finger nails, her arm coiled up in a sling, her face still bruised, tinted with soft hues of yellow and pink, her lower lip swollen with a crusty scab. “Your royal highness has returned,” said Izzy mockingly, rising to her feet.

  “Izzy?” I snapped my mouth closed.

  Izzy sauntered over to Blane, sizing him up from head to toe, a crafty grin crinkling across her face. “You even brought your own, Braveheart,” she said smugly, biting her lower lip, circling him, her fingers fondling his tartan, rubbing the material between her thumb and index finger, “kilt and all,” slowly sliding her fingertips up to his brawny arms. “Very nice, sis,” tracing a fascinated path across his wide shoulders.

  Izzy cradled Blane’s stubbly face, squishing his cheeks together, his rosy lips puckering firmly into a perfect kiss. “Mmm… hmm… I most definitely approve,” her hand softly patting his chiseled jaw, “beats boring Bill Gates, any day!” She whirled around, snatching my left hand up, rolling her thumb across my ring finger. “I see you conveniently lost your engagement ring too?”

  I blushed.

  “The small ring the Guardian was wearing on her left finger?” asked Blane, unaffected by Izzy’s overzealous attention.

  “Yeah,” commented Izzy, looking at me sideways, “that ring.”

  “The Guardian put that away for safe keeping,” answered Blane, flatly.

  “I bet she did.” Her eyes swept over me.

  Granny hovered before us, translucent in her disembodied spirit. “Anabel, Izzy will relieve you from your duty as Guardian.”

  “Oh,” I said, placing my hand on the Moon Pendant, both relieved and disappointed that it had to leave me.

  Izzy tapped the spiraled scroll repetitively in her hand.

  Curiously, I looked at her wondering where it had gone. In the back of my mind I had thought Vyx had done something with it, but there it was in her clutches.

  “Lainahwyn has already marked Anabel as the Guardian,” declared Blane, brushing his arm against mine.

  “Good,” answered Izzy, “we’ll use her as a decoy while I recharge the Moon Pendant.”

  “The Moon Pendant can only have one Guardian,” said Blane firmly, turning to me, his penetrating gaze met my eyes, and my heart thundered within my chest.

  “She didn’t want the responsibility when she was given the Dragon Scroll back in NY,” announced Izzy, holding up the ancient scroll, its parchment stained from time, tattered at its ends. “It was beneath you,” echoed Izzy, eyes squinting, stabbing the scroll at my chest, “wasn’t it, Anabel?”

  “Do you think I want this?” I argued. For some crazy reason everyone seemed to think I wanted the Moon Pendant and its power.

  “Don’t you?” Izzy said raising a brow at me.

  I inhaled deeply through my nose. “No, take it!” I blurted out loud, my fingers fumbling at the Moon Pendant’s clasp, tugging at it, trying to pry it open, it didn’t budge. “It won’t come off!” I screamed, frantically, wedging my fingers around the thick chain, yanking it with both hands, its roots still implanted into my chest. “Granny, say the oath!”

  Granny examined the pendant as I screamed, “Get it off me!” my eyes stinging with tears, “say the oath, Granny!” Kneeling to the floor, I added, “I don’t want this, please.”

  “I can’t, I’m dead!” Granny fumed, “You can’t have a Guardian who’s a ghost. That’s not the way it works, Anabel. I'm afraid you’re the Moon Pendant’s host for now.”

  Blane hooked his arms around me, lifting me off the floor and onto my feet, his thumb wiping away my fat tears. “After the first task, lass, the pendant will regain a charge, mayhap after that, it may release you.” His baby blue eyes smiled at me.

  “Exactly, how many tasks are there?” huffed Izzy, tossing the Dragon Scroll onto the chair and crossing her arms.

  “Four,” stated Blane, “one for each element.”

  “So,” I whimpered, sniffing back the tears, “I’m held hostage by this thing?”
<
br />   “Yes,” answered Granny, “until it can be removed and survive on another host.”

  “Another Guardian,” said Blane dutifully.

  Izzy shook her head in disgust, “Always getting what you want, huh, Anabel? You’re a real smooth operator!” Her face thrust into mine, just a mere two inches away, her lower lip trembling, spraying spit into my face as she spoke, “You-Make-Me-Sick!”

  Izzy spun around, latching onto the doorknob, floundering helplessly with it, her eyes staring at me like daggers. “And don’t think I’m going to help you charge it!” she said bitterly, heaving the door open. “I’d rather go to hell! Hell, I’d rather you go first!” And then she slammed the front door shut.

  Chapter 7

  ♦♦♦

  Izzy

  I slid a cigarette between my lips, its texture firm and light, a silver lighter cuffed between my palm, my thumb striking its metal wheel. It sparked wildly, igniting a steady flame. Sinful embers burned the paper’s tip as I inhaled my pain.

  Personally, I had quite enough of that one, always playing the victim when she needs to, always being the heroine when she can get away with it.

  I blew out a frustrated breath of ashy air.

  It didn’t take me long to figure out that Vyx was up to no good. But, once I did, I made sure I hid that scroll where he’d never find it, a special little hiding place inside the lining of my hobo purse. I had cut it out last year, when my mother insisted I show her all the contents of my bag as she scoured my room for cigarettes.

  So brilliantly, I might say I took a razor blade and trimmed off the threading of the liner, making sure it was wide enough to stuff my hand into it. I sealed it up with a few hidden snaps, and then voila instant super secret hiding spot!

  I chewed the nail polish off my thumbnail. I was still frustrated about Vyx. Serves me right, allowing myself to be finagled by that baboon. Seems I can’t get anyone good to stay in my life or to show up for that matter. But, I made sure I took a nice parting gift from that Neanderthal, rolling my eyes down to the inside lining of my platform boots, giggling to myself as I spied his bone knife peeking out.