Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (book club suggestions txt) 📕

now, she was still learning, and had the heart for it all.
Already, Luna and Shane each saw the loyalty Bradley had for his stepsister Kelly. The reason for that was obvious, since Enchantra had revealed he was her Earthly Protector. That meant they were made for each other, to love and protect one another as an Ancient Mystic Couple. Neither knew the truth, that Bradley was adopted into the Schmidt family. In his mind, he loved her with his heart and soul, but was confused. If he didn’t now, he, too, would have his duties to his Lord Guardian. Not only as her Earthly Protector and a Crusader, but something more. Time would tell just what he would name his own Dream Realm persona. It would also tell just what he would become with the Enchanted Child by his side.
As for Cara Richardson, Luna could tell she wasn’t really into it right now. Not for the right reasons, anyway. She was caught in the middle of all Ancient Mystic messes, thanks to her sister’s Ancient Mystic husband Kevin Woods and her brother’s Ancient Mystic wife, Claudia Woods-Richardson. There was something special about her, though, and she did have the heart of a fighter. Maybe that’s why the Amber stone around her neck shone brightly, and Luna could sense the Dragon Magic building in her system? She decided to keep that silent from the girl. She was only thirteen, and a non-Ancient Mystic. She was too young to know or even learn how to handle her elemental power over Fire.
The other four, Luna and Shane both knew, were already smart junior-detectives as well. Kirsten Farthay, Steven Edwards, Samantha West, and Joshua Stevenson, all school friends of Kelly’s, were Dream Realm Crusaders, too. They had their own elemental power stones around their necks, but didn’t know about it. Their minds were erased by an Ancient Mystic potion called the Forgetfulness Spell. The very potion Luna herself used on Ariana when they were only five, to make her twin forget about her family ties.
Shaking her head back into gear, Luna thought to herself as she walked home with Shane.
They would all be brave, just fighters in time. Luna could count on them now to act like watchers for the younger children in this world, and take care of the Dreamers in the Dream Realm. On that, she could rely.

II

Ramon Martiya could smell her from a mile away.
His Blood-sister Celeste Moondancer was back in Romania, and she was coming this way. Her scent, the smell of death and decay to come, wasn’t one he expected from her. It was the time of night she usually chose to be with her Bondmate Chase. He didn’t sense his old mentor with her, and that startled him. One didn’t usually go anywhere without the other. It didn’t matter that Chase was a Mountain Wolf Companion from the Dream Realm. It didn’t matter that now that they were Bonded in blood and soul, they couldn’t be away from each other for long. It also didn’t matter they had to be with the kin-Clans when the Hunger was upon them, once a month during the dark of the moon.
All that mattered is that she had returned to Romania, smelling of death and decay. It told him something was wrong.
“Daniel.” Ramon barked to his second-in-command, Blood-brother and Celeste’s Apprentice kin-brother.
Daniel was beside him in seconds, a mere blink of an eye and no one would have seen him coming. He shifted from the mists to human form, staring at his Blood-brother. One sniff to the air, and he, too, could smell his sister coming. “What do you think she wants?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Ramon announced softly. “Tell Diamond to join us. He’ll want to hear this too, I bet.”
“Right.” Daniel didn’t move. Instead, he sent out the call in his mind to the Jewel Elder. “He’s on his way with Carlotta, Ramon.”
Ramon didn’t say a word, only nodding that he heard. “She’s in a hurry.”
Daniel stared where Ramon’s attention was diverted. “Celeste has been in the Dream Realm for so long, I thought she’d forgotten how to mist?”
“You and me both, Blood-brother.” Ramon waited for her to approach them.
The droplets of mist in front of them stopped suddenly, and Celeste Moondancer shifted to her full-human form. She saw both Ramon and Daniel standing before her before she fainted on the spot.
Daniel carried her to the hideaway and set her down on fresh soil that lay on a large slab of rock. He waited twenty minutes for her to stir. As Celeste tried to sit up, Ramon was there to help her. Diamond and his Bondmate Carlotta stood in the shadows, watching the scene.
Daniel was there when Celeste whispered. “Feed me.”
He sliced his wrist with a fingernail, holding it to her mouth. Her sharp fangs shot out and she Fed hungrily.
“Talk to us, sister.” Daniel whispered. “On the common mind-path. Tell us why you are here, and why you exhaust yourself doing it? You know the differences between this world and the Dream Realm as well as any of us. We actually use energy here, and need replenishing when it is gone. Do you forget after all this time away from home?”
Yes, Celeste’s mind-voice was weary. I forgot a lot, but for good reason.
“Why have you come home now?” Ramon asked her. “Is it Chase?”
No, Blood-brother. It is not Chase or either of our children, for that matter. Celeste responded.
Daniel could feel her getting stronger, her energy waxing as she drank his life-giving fluid. She waited until she closed the wound and her Hunger was sated before telling them why she was back in the Outer Realm.
“Tell me, dear sister.” Daniel brushed her hair with a gentle hand. “What could possibly take you from Chase’s side? Why didn’t he join you?”
“If you would be silent, I’d tell you.” Celeste said sternly, then smiled, teasing.
She told everything she knew, including what Orthos knew about Airmed Starchaser.
“Starchaser?” Diamond breathed, coming closer. Carlotta gasped beside him, sharing a look with her Bondmate.
“That’s right, Diamond. Starchaser.” Celeste said. “Airmed is a direct descendant of our old King Shem and Queen Shiva. She is Watcher-kin, and at an Earth-.” she almost said Earthbound, correcting herself with a roll of the eyes. “I mean, at an age where her powers are awakening. She believed herself to be a mere Pagan, until Chase and I explained to her what she was.”
Diamond nodded. “Go on.”
Celeste continued by telling her three Clan-brothers and Clan-sister the rest of the story, like what Lord Guardian’s successor the Young Guardian was doing about all the chaos. She saved the best for last.
“The main reason I’m here is because the Master Orthos will call upon the Stalkers once again, just as he did in the Wars for Power.”
“The very Wars that took hundreds of our kinsmen?” Ramon growled.
One stare from Diamond and Ramon was calmed again.
“Both Guardians have already Foreseen it.” Celeste supplied softly. “That is why I am here. To tell you what they plan, and gather as many Hunters as we can to fight in this new Dream Realm war.”
“Has he called them already?” Ramon inquired. Celeste shook her head. “Than why warn us now?”
“Because he will, and soon.” Celeste responded.
She could sense he was reluctant, not wanting to get involved. That was understandable, considering the last War the Dwellers got involved in made them lose so many of their numbers. She started again, softer this time. “Ramon, please see this from my eyes. My son Chikité and daughter Cherokee are known to the Elder-kin.”
Ramon looked to Diamond, seeing the Jewel Elder nodding.
Celeste continued. “They will be fighting in this war, and are considered kin, even if they are half-Companions. Please, say you will do this for me, for Chase, for all of us?”
Ramon stared at his Blood-sister for a minute, thinking over her words. While it was true what she said, the kin-Clans lost a lot of their own in the previous Wars in the Dream Realm. Shem and Shiva were there, too, and since, declared no Dweller-kin would fight in another Dream Realm war unless the Stalkers were involved.
But times have changed, and so had Celeste, apparently. The loss of the passing of time made her nearly forget who and what she was. Ramon felt for her, though. She had to live in two different worlds, as did her Bondmate Chase Moondancer. Every Dweller-kin was precious to the survival of their kind, and he didn’t want to lose any more than he could spare.
“Just the Hunters, Celeste?” Ramon said silently.
“Just the Hunters.” Celeste responded.
Ramon sighed. Diamond, Daniel, Carlotta and Celeste waited for him to speak.
“Tell me when and it will be done, Blood-sister.” Ramon announced.
Celeste wrapped arms around him and hugged him. “Thank you, Blood-brother.”
She also hugged her kin-brother, the Jewel Elder, and Carlotta. She hugged Ramon again, tighter.
“When next I come to you, Lord Guardian wants you to report to him.” Celeste told Ramon and Daniel.
“Rest and Feed well, and often, sister.” Daniel remarked, tweaking her nose as if she were a child. He always made her smile with the gesture before he lost all emotions.
Celeste stared at her kin-brother, amazed and happy his emotions were back. He actually ‘felt’ happier than he had years before. “You’re Bonded?”
“To Bella’s and my daughter Simone, no doubt.” Ramon smiled.
“Last I remembered, Simone was just born.” Celeste replied. “How old is she now?”
Daniel laughed. “I keep forgetting the Dream Realm knows no time. Simone is still a Youngling of nineteen, but we are Bonded.”
“As long as you are happy, brother, I am happy for you.” Celeste hugged him again. “My little brother is finally Bonded! Glory and Blessed be!”
Daniel kissed her cheek. “I will be happier soon, and so will you.” Celeste waited. “Simone carries my child. Our kin-Clan will continue.”
Celeste didn’t want to argue that her own son Chikité and daughter Cherokee would continue the Apprentice kin-Clan line. She was happy for her brother’s new-found love of life.
“I really must go now, my Clan-brothers and -sister.” Celeste remarked sadly. “There is still a war to be declared in my world, and I must get back to Chase.”
She’d given her message. Now it was time for her to go back to the Dream Realm, and her beloved Bondmate Chase. With cries of “Pleasant Journeys,” Celeste called the Dream Chant and returned to the upcoming war.

III

“So tell me again, Aimee.” Ariana Reading was confused, trying to get her almost-sister’s story correct in her mind. “Scott is a Fire-Starter in the Dream Realm? How?”
“He can make things catch on fire, just by thinking about it.” Aimee grinned, hugging Scott’s arms.
“And Lord Guardian is impressed by this so-called amazing feat?” Aaron asked.
“He was impressed by you, wasn’t he, Aaron?” Scott wondered. “I don’t remember what I did, but it impressed him.”
“O’Dell told me a little about your adventures there without the Musketeers.” Ariana supplied. “Not much; just enough to peak my interest. I wondered how you were able to go without us, but now I know.”
“Scott’s a special Dreamer called a Fire-Starter.” Aimee was proud of him. “I believe whatever he did, had to do with his Fire-Starter powers.”
“What about simple imagination?” Aaron countered. “Your mind has always been open to Ariana’s strange powers, and you’ve always had a great imagination.”
Scott blushed. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Aimee nudged him. “We know so.” She supplied. “And now we also know we’ve got another weapon against Orthos. He’ll never guess!”
After that statement, the younger children seemed to sense the four adults neglecting