Umbra

Prologue

The rain poured hard that night. The screams of Rosie Clay were heard throughout the manor. Her husband, Jackson Clay, paced the hallways. Eventually the screaming ceased and Jackson looked up expectantly.

The nurse exited the nursery to tell him the news. "Mother and son are both fine," she told him. Jackson released a sigh of relief. "Go visit your new son," the nurse told him before walking down the hallway leaving him alone.

Jackson walked into the nursery where his wife lay. Rosie smiled up at him. "He's beautiful isn't he?" she asked. Jackson smiled at his wife and his first born. He nodded.

"What shall we call him, Rosie?" Jackson asked his wife. She thought for a moment.

"Victor Allen. After our fathers," Rosie said. Jackson smiled.

"Perfect," said the new father. Suddenly the nursery door flies open. Alton Crumley limped into the room.

"Do you have any idea what day it is?" the old man snapped. Jackson looked slightly confused then said.

"Sunday? Uh, it's the twenty-first eclipse too, isn't it?" Jackson muttered to no one in particular."We also know that Malorie's sister had an Enchantex. The Phaige's had the Twins of Fate! All of them so far have prophetic powers!" Jackson looked at Alton expecting him to fly into fit and walk away. He was a crazy old man after all.

Instead Alton looked up with his sightless eyes at the sound of the new baby whimper. "There's a prophecy coming," Alton said grimly. Then the new baby, Victor, started to cry.

Both Jackson and Rosie looked astounded at their new son. The baby's crying was, as strange as it sounds, beautiful.

"He's the son of the Sirens." Alton said. "We need to gather the other children."

"Are you crazy?" Jackson snapped. "Rosie just had a baby. There's no way she can leave!"

"Then you come then. It's of absolute importance, Jackson," said Alton.

"I'm not taking my newborn son into the rain," Jackson said sternly.

Alton stood in the doorway. The old man had a hard look on his face. "This is about a prophecy, Jackson. We could all die tonight, unless you come with me right now!" Alton almost shouted.

Rosie looked up at her husband. "Just go Jackson. It's important." She handed Jackson their newborn son. Jackson wrapped an extra blanket around the small baby and followed Alton outside.

They walked down the street to Alton's small home. He lived just down the street from Clay manor. Jackson followed Alton inside just as the rain started to pour. Once inside Jackson was ordered to sit. Not even a minute later a worried looking couple, Jackson knew them as Christopher and Marie Phaige, burst through the door.

They were each holding a baby. "What's this about?" Marie demanded. Jackson was surprised Marie was even there. She had had her twins earlier that day. The fact that she was standing there astonished Jackson.

Alton didn't answer Marie's question. All he did was open the door to reveal Rosie's best friend Malorie Carmichael. She was holding a crying baby.

"She didn't make it. His mother didn't make it," Malorie's voice was choked up. She had obviously been crying.

Jackson was about to apologize for the loss of her sister when Alton dropped to his knees. His blind eyes filled with light. His mouth opened and he said, "When the dark falls, the Siren of the Light will sing his song by the side of the mirrored image of Stealth and Grace and the Enchanter of Guidance and by the morning of the twenty-first year they will cheat death." Alton gasped loudly and fell to his hands and knees.

"The prophecy," said Christopher.