“Righty-ho, that was a true and wonderous night. But my cockles are tired and I must say fair the well so that I might go and tend my Lady Petunia before the night is out.”
“Why can’t I tend your Petunia?” Max pouted and Geraldine smacked him around the head with the wooden case.
“Because you are fiddlesome flatfish, that’s why Maxy boy. Perhaps if you gave more thought to your nolly then you could water my lawn until the day is done.” She walked up to the ice wall, carving a door in it and stepping out into the night.
“What’s a nolly?” Max muttered, a hopeless frown pulling at his brow but no one had an answer for him.
“Is that a star sign?” Darcy asked suddenly as she leaned close to me and the scent of strawberries carried from her like the sweetest temptation.
“Hm?” I asked, too distracted by her full lips and large eyes to do anything but stare at her. She tapped the page my thumb was still on and I looked down, finding two small Gemini symbols had appeared at the top of the paper.
“What the fuck…” I breathed.
She brushed her finger over one of the symbols, a light suddenly burning from within it. “Holy shit. Tory, get over here,” she urged.
Tory moved to my other side and Darcy guided her hand down onto the other symbol, making it illuminate too and suddenly light spilled out all across the otherwise blank page, revealing star sign after star sign, all of them forming a zodiac ring surrounding the image of a rising sun.
The details were beautiful, delicate lines joining the signs together and hand drawn images of the constellations surrounding the circle. Beyond them were drawings of precious gemstones which were linked to each of the star signs. I’d taught classes on this, how these gemstones could enhance the gifts of each sign when used in various magical practices, but something about these specific stones gave a ring of power to the image which made the hairs along the back of my neck stand to attention.
A handwritten note was revealed below it from my father and my gut tugged at finding another connection to him, feeling him so close in that moment that it was like he was looking over my shoulder.
“What is it?” Darius asked and I read the words aloud as everyone perked up to listen.
“Six were found and six were lost. These are the stones of the original twelve. All must be united to restore balance to the kingdom and reform the Zodiac Guild. Find the six we recovered within the Chalice of Flames.”
“What does that mean?” Tory asked curiously as I cut my thumb open on my fang and reached into the air before me, carving my fingers through the moonlight and summoning the chalice to my fingertips. I drew it from the very atmosphere and the others watched in awe as the beautiful silver cup caught the light of the moon.
Latin words inscribed on its side in beautiful calligraphy captured my attention.
Ego meum sanguinem confirmo in Vega regali acie.
“I pledge my blood to the Vega royal line,” I translated.
My father had spoken of these words earlier in his diary; when it was time to initiate new members to the Guild, they had to speak them, and I had to admit it gave me a thrill to think of reforming it.
I examined the warm metal carefully, hunting for any sign of gemstones inlaid within its gleaming surface, but there was nothing there.
Darcy took the cup from my hand, tipping it over to look at the bottom and suddenly six beautiful gemstones cascaded out of the cup onto the snow at my feet.
“Ooh, so shiny,” she breathed, leaning down to pick up a fat diamond as Darius let out a growl of possessiveness, rushing forward to gather up some of the others as he knelt in the snow.
“Those are not yours, Darius.” Tory grabbed them from him, but he had that wild glint in his eyes which he always got around treasure, trying to prise them back out of her fingers.
“I’ll look after them,” he said firmly. “Give them to me.”
Xavier whinnied a laugh as Darius tried to get the diamond from Darcy’s fist and I swooped down to take hold of it myself, holding it above his head to examine it in the firelight.
“The diamond is aligned with Aries,” I said as Darius tried to grab it from me.
I tossed it into the air, making him drop the others as he tried to catch it and I plucked those up from the snow as he fell on the diamond.
“Moonstone for Gemini,” I said, running my thumb over the beautiful opalescent rock in my palm. All of them were the same oval shape and size, as wide as my thumb and perfectly smooth. I could feel the weight of the power in these stones, all of them more pristine than any I had ever seen.