Beyond the Lonely Oak (Star Crossed series book 1) (completed) #Wattys2018

Chapter Fifteen: Power of the moon

The dreams started as a peaceful interlude of blue water and grassy meadows but quickly turned darker. The meadow where she had just said her vows to Braden was cast into an eerie darkness and she stumbled to find her way through the black. She ran to the oak, only to find its sheltering bough had become a gnarled hand reaching to pluck her into its terrifying grasp. Braden was nowhere—just a terrified Ava, running through the dark, creatures looming in the shadows—reaching for her as she reached for the light. She looked down and saw the bright light was coming from a large crescent shaped rock upon which she stood. Its brightness intensified, floating towards her. She felt a tug around her neck as the skeleton key she had gotten at the peddlers' fair pulled her down into the haze, yanking at her with a force that she couldn't fight despite her best efforts. She was going to be engulfed—she opened her eyes.

The lighted candle that sat in the corner of the room was giving off distinctive hissing noises as it burned down the last of its wick. Braden lay next to her, his heavy chest slowly rising up and down. Ava wondered if her dream had only been traumatic in her mind, though the trickle of sweat on her forehead said otherwise.

Carefully, she untangled herself from his arms and the heavy blanket. Certain she hadn't woken him, she pulled the blanket up to his chin and tucked him in snugly. He was so beautiful when he slept. Like any prince you would expect to see in a fairy tale, only when his eyes were closed did he resemble the innocent little boy she had fallen so hopelessly in love with.

The torches in the hall were still lit and as Esmerelda had instructed she kept to the right in the deep cave arteries, making her way slowly back to the rainbow cavern that had captivated her earlier. It was easy to follow the woman's instructions, as only the tunnels to the right were alive with dancing light, the others were cast in a foreboding darkness that would keep even the bravest explorers at bay. She passed by the cavern where their group had met Clyde and Furrow, its depths abandoned besides the smoldering embers that had comprised the fire. It was silent as she walked the rest of the way, not even the walls talked this deep in the ground. Against the silence her footfalls were no quiet matter, so she was slightly surprised that Esmerelda, who was sitting in the center of the cavern didn't turn to look at her as she entered. She sat hunched over a circular group of stalagmite crystals, gazing down like one would at a precious piece of art. Feeling intrusive, Ava started to slowly back out in the direction she had come.

"Come sit please," Esmerelda called, startling Ava to the bone.

Ava stood absolutely still for a moment, thinking how silly she had been to come up here alone—she barely knew this woman. Finally, after a moment's hesitation she made her way over. She could see now, as she found a place to sit beside the woman, that she wasn't looking into a crystal at all, but a very round pool of water. Ava found herself wanting to ask what was in the water that required such rigorous attention, but the woman spoke before she had a chance.

"I'm scrying," Esmerelda said, looking up at her.

"Can you read my mind?" This had been one of the many times tonight Esmerelda had answered her thoughts before she had even voiced them.

"I can read your intentions," she said, as though it was simple enough to do. Ava sat contemplating that answer. "I get clearer impressions of people's intentions than the average person."

"Many people carry their thoughts in their body language, yes, but I can also feel your emotions and together that makes me almost capable of reading your mind." Esmerelda gazed at Ava with a comfortable smile as she spoke, despite how utterly absurd the subject sounded.

"My Mam did, as well as hers and I would imagine Furrow will also have the gift, though she does take after her father quite a bit." And that brought a smile to Esmerelda's face, but the tone of her words as she spoke of the gift was quite dismal.

"Passing on the gift isn't something that makes you happy?" Ava wasn't sure if she had overstepped the conversational boundaries, but something in the woman's eyes had her asking anyway.

"It should make me absolutely happy, but in Darien, and beyond really, those of us with gifts are considered outsiders." She looked up, all around her. "You see the wondrous walls of this cavern, feel its beauty and power as it was meant to felt, but to us it has only become a prison."

Her words painted a very different picture of the woman who sat before her. For the first time Ava could see past the moon tattoo and the sensitivity to people's intentions to a mother raising a little girl, underground in barely suitable conditions. Living a life with no freedom to love and live as a woman raising a family should. Never allowed to breathe fresh air or see the sunshine without looking over her shoulder. Was that the kind of kingdom she was inheriting by becoming a wife to Braden? She shuddered at the thought. She grew up in a society where people were allowed to be who and what they wanted without having to hide away underground from people who are just as human as themselves.

Guiltily, Ava thought back to the scene with the man and the pigs and was suddenly very torn. Could she really condemn this woman with those people? She had done nothing but help Ava and her family. History was riddled with people of the same group fighting the same battle on separate sides of the line.

"Have you ever scryed?" Esmerelda asked, eyeing Ava curiously.

Ava was almost certain the woman knew the answer to that question, but she took the bait anyhow. "What is scrying?"

"It is when you use one of the elements to see visions—past, present, future. You may not get the entire picture, but you receive enough pieces to put a picture of your own together," she answered, her eyes serious as they took in Ava's reaction.

Ava was surprised to find herself peeking over the edge of the pool and into the water. She nearly let out a yelp as her own wide-eyed expression confronted her. Letting out a nervous laugh she looked back at the woman, feeling silly for thinking she would see some detailed glimpse of the future in a pool of water. Esmerelda's gaze remained serious.

"Do you know why I told my Furrow that you are our new princess?" Esmerelda held Ava's gaze. "You will be everyone's queen one day and the one to unite all of the people, no matter who or what they may be. You will restore the sunlight to a very dark world such as ours."

Ava felt very cold, chilled by the woman's words and by the immense responsibility they carried. Yet Ava couldn't ignore the warmth in her eyes as she spoke to her.

Esmerelda reached over, placing her hand on Ava's and smiling very gently she broke the spell she had woven only moments before. "You should get some sleep—morning will be here before you know it and I must see you and your friends to safety."

The woman led her back to the entrance of the tunnels, not needing to tell her this time to stick to the light. As she walked, Ava couldn't help but ponder how the woman could tell night from day living so deeply in the ground. But something deep inside Ava whispered, you never forget about the warmth of a sun or the power of the moon, they are as connected to each other as they are to us all.