Under the Blood Moon by Jenny Garcia (golden son ebook txt) 📕

so memorized by it. She closes her hands and the figures disappear into a puff of smoke. She looks back to me and puts her hands over her mouth and taps her feet on the ground with excitement. She removes her hands from her mouth and says, “Isn’t that amazing! I have been playing around with it all day.” I put my hand over my chest and say, “Mom that is incredible! How did you do that?” She takes a breath and says, “Well I just started to think about what I wanted to do. I can now summon the fire whenever I want but I thought What if I could make things out of it. I mean if I can control it why couldn’t I make objects? Ballet dancers popped into my head so I tried to make them come to life. I was surprised how easy it was.” I am so amazed with my mother right now. She went from being terrified of her gift to embracing it totally and finding new ways to use it. I wish that I had as much control of my gift as she does. Even though the whole shower incident showed me that I am getting better at summoning it. The images of the vision popped into my head and make my face turns beat red. I look back to my mother and say, “Can you make them any bigger?” She giggles and says, “I don’t know yet I haven’t tried. I am a little afraid to; I don’t want to catch anything on fire.” I look down at my palms, “I wonder if I have any Proys in me?” She comes and sits next to me on the bed. “Well I don’t know. You want to try?” I turn to face her and say, “Ya I do! Ok…How do you summon yours?” She gets both my hands and turns them face up, “Ok now just close your eyes and see the flame growing bigger and bigger.” I close my eyes and try to concentrate on building fire in my palms. I can hear my mother breathing in and out slowly so I do the same. I am not able to summon any fire. I can’t help but feel a little disappointed but I guess you can have every gift. I sit with her for what feels like hours trying to get this fire to conjure. I hear someone clear their throat and my mom and I both open our eyes. Travis is standing in the doorway with wet hair and fresh clothes. His cologne fills my room and I take a deep breath through my nose. My mom looks back to me and places her hand on my leg, “Well I guess that is my cue.” She stands up and walks out of the room yelling down the hall, “Just keep practicing honey!” Travis looks at me and asks, “What are you practicing?” I start to fire back at him, “Oh my god Travis you should have seen it. My mom came in my room and she make little fire people in her hands and they were dancing together. It was amazing. We tried to see if I had any Pyros but I don’t think that I do.” He lets out a laugh and for some reason I the shower incident flashes through my mind. My face again turns tomato red and Travis turns his head to the side in confusion. “Why are you blushing?” I shake my head no but he knows that I am lying. “Niki, you know I can just read your thoughts and find out on my own so just tell me.” I lay back on my bed letting out a sigh of frustration, “Nothing Travis, really, please drop it.” There is nothing more irritating than being around someone that can read your thoughts. There is no way that I could ever keep anything from him. I hear the dull creek of the hardwood floor as he walks over to my bed. There is a moment of silence and then he jumps into the air landing on my hips straddling me. He gets one my wrists in each one of his hands and pins me to the bed. I struggle against him but he is much too strong for me to resist. Laughing he says, “Niki you can either tell me or I will just look on my own”. I try to buck him off with my hips but there is no use. “There is nothing to tell you Travis.” He pulls both of my hands over my head and places both of my wrists in one of his hands and the other on my cheek. I try to wriggle away but it just makes his grip tighter. I start to uncontrollably laugh and he starts to giggle with me. He looks down at me devilishly and says, “Last chance baby.” I know that he is going to find out anyways but I am far too embarrassed to say it out loud. I shake my head no while still laughing and he closes his eyes. My stomach sinks and I know exactly what he is about to see. I want to disappear right now. He is never going to let me live this down. He keeps them closed for a brief moment with a small grin growing from his mouth. Then he whips his eyes open staring straight into my soul. I look away as my face heats with embarrassment. I cannot make eye contact with him right now. He releases my hands and lets the back of his hand glide down the side of my face. “So you’re spying on me in the shower?” I try to sit up and he places his hand on my chest preventing me from moving anywhere. I look up at him and say, “It was an accident I swear I was trying to practice summoning a vision on my own but you were the only person that I could think about. I had no choice in the matter.” He nods his head, “Well that sounds like a good excuse but that doesn’t explain why you stayed in the vision.” He gives me a wink and leans into my face, inches from my lips whispering, “Niki, you want me don’t you?” I get my hands under his chest and push him off me. “No!” He giggles as he falls back onto the end of the bed, “Whatever you say you’re Highness!” I sit up and slap the side of his leg and it just makes him laugh harder. Chapter 7

 

King Khan

 

“Where is my Queen Ares?” Khan’s deep English voice booms as he shouts down the great hall to his General. Ares slowly walks towards Khan with his eyes to the floor. The Great Hall used to be the most beautiful room in the whole castle but now that Renee has not returned from her journey it has turned into Khans dark dwelling. The large stain glass windows of our ancestors no longer cast down comforting light across the red carpets. I find no joy in this home without my child and now my Queen has disappeared. I feel as if my hearts beat has slowed and every beat is painful. He watches Ares from his throne as he walks down the black carpet runner to the foot of the throne steps. He kneels before Khan keeping his eyes to the floor. This behavior is giving me the sense that he is hiding something from me. “Ares I will ask one last time, where is my Queen?” He looks to Khan who motions for him to rise from the floor. “King Khan… Our great Queen is…dead.” Pain rips through his body and his throat begins to burn. He can’t help but raise his head and scream into the air. My one love, my bond has been broken. Whoever has murdered her will pay dearly. He look down to Ares, “Who has done this?” Khan slowly rises from his throne and walks down the three steps to where Ares is standing and screams in his face, “WHO HAS KILLED MY QUEEN!?” Ares closes his eyes for a brief moment and then opens them reluctantly. He pulls back his shoulder to shake the fear off his back. “No one has killed her King Khan. She has released to essence to a young girl.” I don’t understand why she would do this to me. Why would she pass on her essence and not tell me that she is doing so? Why would she leave me in this world alone? I have lost my daughter to the disgusting hands of a human and now my own wife has willing left my side. I gave that woman everything she could have wanted and now she lied to me and passed through to the afterlife without me. Anger is pulsing through his veins and he begins pacing back and forth in front of his throne. He turns to Ares who has a look of dread on his face, “Ares do you know who this girl is?” Khan clasps his hands behind his back and stands erect, “Yes my King, She is the Mystic that Queen Renee spoke of many years ago.” Khan tries to rack his memory for the name of the Mystic. It was many years ago when she spoke of a Mystic that was to be born with more power than ever. She had high hopes for her in the Royal Court. Why can’t I remember her name… “Ares, what is the name of the Mystic?”

 

“Niki, my King.” Just hearing the name makes my anger rise beyond all comprehension. There is no way that I will let this girl live. She will be made an example of. Just the thought of holding her neck between my hands gives me great joy.

 

“Orders my King?” Ares patiently awaits his decision. “Ares, how close to the awaking is this girl?” Ares turns his head to the side in confusion. “Less than 3 weeks my King.” A deep sadistic laugh burrows in Khans throat. “We will wait until she has awakened before we…visit her.” Ares drops his hands to his side and steps closer to Khan, “But my King the Blood Moon is on her awakening.” Khan throws his hand up demanding silence. “Do you not believe that I am stronger than she? Do you not have faith in your King?” He swallows deeply and sweat beads upon his forehead, “Of course you are stronger than she, but why not cut her down before she awakens.” Khans laughs into the air, “What would my subjects think if I killed the girl my Queen released her essence to without a fair fight?” giving Ares a sarcastic smile, “Ares the glory of war is all that is remember when we are gone, and this General…will be remembered.” Ares bows his head to Khan and turns on his heels leaving the Great Hall. He steps echo off the high ceilings and walls reminding Khan that he is utterly alone now. How could she do this to me? I loved her more than words could ever explain and