Under the Blood Moon by Jenny Garcia (latest books to read TXT) 📖

where Travis is sleeping. Each step is like waiting for a bomb to explode, each step may wake someone in the house and I don’t want to be seen sneaking around in the dark. I don’t know how I would explain that. I finally make it to Travis door and place my hand on the knob. Turning it slowly I begin to open the door. Travis is already passed out on his air mattress. I walk over to his bed and kneel down. God he is gorgeous. I run his hair through my fingers and the passion burn that I am used to doesn’t come. It’s a different feeling. It’s…love. I do love him. I don’t want to admit it but I do. I love this man. He begins to stir and rolls over on my hand. I am stuck sitting up staring at him. Oh god please don’t wake up right now. This is going to look really creepy. I try to pull my hand out and he grabs my wrist. Not even opening his eyes “What are you doing in here Niki?” I tug my arm back from him rubbing my wrist. “I don’t want to be alone Travis…I want to be…with you.” He eyes open and he looks at me with a small grin. He lifts the covers inviting me and I get in bed with him. This is the first time that I have touched him that I haven’t wanted to rip his clothes off. I want to lay with him and feel his heart beat in my ear. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. God he smells good. He kisses my forehead and says “Goodnight Niki, tomorrow is going to be a long day get some sleep.” I get comfortable in his arm, which isn’t hard, and drift off into a calming sleep.

 

***

 

            I am back in my never ending dream. This time I know a little more and I am going to get some answers if I see the lady in white. Standing on the shore I can still see the island glowing in the distance. I look for bright light that shown off the crown of the lady in white but its nowhere to be found. I am not going to stand here and wait anymore. I walk to the edge of the shore and down our dock. There is a small row boat at the end and I decide to row to the island to get some answers. I untie the damp rope and jump into the boat. I have rowed this boat all around this lake every summer. I begin to row towards the island pulling the ores as hard as I can, splashing the cool water into the air. The boat is gliding across the still water sending ripples in every direction. My arms begin to burn as I get closer to the island but I pay no mind to it and keep pulling. Finally the boat stops on the sand of the island. I jump out in calf deep water and pull the boat onto shore. “Hello! Is there anyone here?” I call out into the darkness hoping that someone is here. “Renee, are you here! I need to speak with you! I need to know why you gave me all your power! Why me damit?!” The wind begins to blow fiercely, throwing my hair straight back. A bright light begins to shine and it blinds me for a moment. I throw my arm in front of my eyes to block the light. It begins to die down and I lower my arm to see what it is. The lady is white is standing in front of me with a look of poise and honor on her face. She is so beautiful I can’t believe that she is real. She extends her hand to me and with no hesitation I take it in mine. We stand face to face for a moment in silence. “Niki, do you know who I am.” She finally speaks and her voice is so soft and comforting. I nod my head yes “You’re Renee right?” She releases my hand and begins to walk into the redwoods. “Yes, I am. Do you know why you’re here?” I start to walk after her. “All I know is that I am a Mystic and you chose me to rule over the whole Realm.” She keeps walking deeper into the redwoods and then we come to a clearing. There is a large flat stone in the middle. She stands motionless and silently staring at the stone. “Niki, that much is true but there is much more that you don’t know. I gave you my life essence and power because I need you to eliminate the current King. He is power hungry and has become mad. A human murdered our daughter and now he is out for revenge on the entire human race. He will succeed if you do not stop him.” This hits me like a runaway train. How I am going to defeat a King. I had no idea that this world even existed and now I have to defeat the King. I am beginning to panic. I can feel nausea building in my throat. “I don’t know what I am supposed to do! I don’t know how to defeat a King. Why didn’t you do it? You’re supposed to be a Queen aren’t you? Why did you give me all your power when the King is about the wipe out the entire human race? I have no idea how to use it!” She walks to me and places her hands on my shoulders. “NIki there are many things that you still need to learn about our world.” She takes my hand and leads me to the large flat rock. She motions for me to sit and I oblige. “Niki, when you bond to someone it is for life. You cannot be with only else for the rest of your life and you would die if you tried. The King is who I bonded with.” Great I guess I am really stuck with Travis forever. “You also are unable to cause physical harm to them. Since I am bonded to the King and he is stronger than I, I cannot stop him from what he is about to do. He knows what I have done. The grief he has for the loss of our daughter is a great pain that will never be at ease and now that he knows I ended my life and gave it to you, he has gone mad. The fate of the Human race is in your hands. You may choose to give up the gift I have given you and the role of Queen, but the human race will fall and the King Khan will still come for you.” Anger is taking over every part of my body and my hands become fists. I snap “So basically what you’re telling me is that I don’t have a choice. Because I might die if I do accept, but I don’t accept I am guaranteed to die and so will the rest of the human race.” Renee sits down next to me and takes my hands. “Niki, I know that this doesn’t seem fair but I wouldn’t have given you this gift if I didn’t think you could succeed. King Khan is a wise man but he also lets his emotions get the best of him. He will come for you on your 18th birthday. He thrives for the thrill of war and he will want to kill you at your most powerful. He will want to set an example of you so his subjects will never rebel. It is a sick addiction. Travis will protect you but you need to beware of Denise. She doesn’t want you to succeed and she wants all humans to perish just as Khan. She also despises you because you were chosen for this role and she was not. She hates humans because of the way she was treated before she was awakened. She was not accepted into the Royal Court and she is looking to find a way back in. Khan has given her this chance. He is willing to accept her into the court if she murders you. If I were still alive he would not be able to overrule my decision to keep her out, but now he has all power, and he needs a spy. You must not let Denise know that you are aware of what she is doing. You will need to make Travis aware of this. If she finds out that you know her plan, she will contact Khan and he will come sooner than he has planned. If that happens then all hope is going to be lost.” I try to obsorb all this information and it makes my head throb. I have never felt so much fear in my life. I look at her and ask “Well if she can see the future how am I going to hide that I know what she is planning to do?” Renee replies with a short simple answer “Because you’re royalty now. She cannot read your future. It’s blocked from her view. That’s why Khan needs her to be around you, so she can report what is going on. Once you become Royal no Mystic can read your future, not even another Royal.” I feel the darkness creeping in around me and the feeling of being alone starts to grip me heart. Is this even a war I can win?

 

“So what happens on my 18th birthday?” She stands from the stone before me. “The Blood Moon is on your birthday. This only comes once every 1,000 years. It’s very rare to have a newborn Mystic Queen awaken on this day especially now that you have the ability to morph into a wolf. You have already been given my powers and the Blood Moon with triple them. You are going to become the most powerful Mystic, Morpher and Queen our race has ever had.” I don’t know how to absorb all this. I am becoming more and more afraid with every word. I don’t know what to think anymore. What if I cannot defeat Khan? This is too much pressure for me. I was just a normal girl and now my life is changed forever. Renee reaches her hand up and touches my face. I lean into her hand trying to feel some sort of comfort. “Niki, on your birthday you will come here to the island. When the Blood Moon is highest in the sky it will shine down its crimson light onto this stone. You need to lie on the stone and let the light cover your whole body. If any part of your body is not in the light the awakening will not be completed and it will fail. The blood moon will turn on you and instead of awakening you it will make you sleep for all eternity. Travis knows what needs to be done and he will guide you through it.” I stand from the stone and begin to pace back and forth carving the ground with each step. How am I going to be able to do this? I don’t think that I have the strength. I look into her eyes “If I am a Mystic then why did I not see this coming?” She looks at me annoyed and turns her back on me. “Your mother tried to stop your Mystic abilities because she was afraid. Denise told her that I would come to you when she was pregnant. Denise tried to share her gift and was made an outcast. Michelle was afraid that you would suffer the same fate. Humans fear what they don’t understand and they cannot just accept things for what they are. She