Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga - Lady Adellandra Dratianos (best detective novels of all time TXT) 📗

self.”
“What about me, Omri?” Young Guardian announced, covering Shadow. “What weaknesses do you read in me?”
Omri just laughed. “Shall I name them all? I am not interested in any of them save one. Aaron Theodore is your main weakness. The others you have conquered.”
“What about Aaron?” Shadow asked. “The fact he’s still in love with her? That’s no secret. Everyone in the family knows.”
“Shadow!”
“They do. It’s hard to ignore how he looks at you, wanting you.”
“He’s come to terms with the fact I’m happily married.”
“Not as much as you, I am thinking.” Omri announced.
Both turned to him. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t tell me you still want him!” Shadow cried. Ariana didn’t answer. She only turned away from him. “I don’t believe this!”
“Believe it Shadow.” Young Guardian said softly.
“No! This isn’t for me to get involved in. Leave it for your husband.”
With a cloud of black smoke, Shadow was gone.
“Why bring that up?” Young Guardian yelled at Omri, who only smiled.
“It is deep in your soul.” Omri replied. “I only brought it to the surface.”
Without another word, Omri was gone, leaving her standing alone, pondering her thoughts.

II

Shane woke up instantly. He knew what Omri was up to, and how to stop it. If only –
“Shane.” Luna murmured from beside him in bed. “Why are you shaking?”
“Djinn Omri’s on his own this time.” Shane explained.
“Well, what does he want with us?”
“He wants to destroy the Ancient Mystics.”
Luna sniffed, snuggling closer to him. “No chance in that.” She supplied softly, kissing him. “We’re too strong now.”
“It started already, and it may have been my fault.” Shane whispered.
“How do you figure that?”
“I told you my story of the Wars.” Shane replied. “Aaron was only half-listening until we let the Djinn takeover of Kelly slip.”
Luna pondered that statement. “We should have told him, Shane.”
“It wasn’t ours to tell.” Shane said.
Luna sat up in bed, glaring at him. “Whose, then?”
“Kelly’s.”
“It was up to us to tell him, and you know it!”
“Luna, you’ll wake the kids.” Shane sat up, placing a hand over her mouth. “It doesn’t matter now. All that does is that Omri trying to destroy the Ancient Mystics.”
How’s he doing that? Came the cry to his mind.
“By first destroying our family.” Shane announced. He took his hand from her mouth.
“We can’t let this happen!”
“Now do you see why I wanted you there?” Shane asked. Luna nodded. “As it was, he riled both Ariana and me up. As usual, she fought with words as her Young Guardian self.”
“You were the Shadow.”
“Aren’t I always?” Shane attempted to smile. “Anyway, he brought up Ariana’s secret love for Aaron, and she got upset. I stormed out of there before I could get involved any further.”
“Smart man.”
“Darn right.” Shane supplied. “Your turn. Any luck with Tempest?”
Luna shook her head. “We were too late.”
“Huh?”
“She already met Sabrina.”
“Isn’t that what she wanted?”
“You’re ignorant, you know that?” Luna chided. “She met Sabrina, but Young Guardian and I returned her to Lord Max. Now she knows exactly who she is. She’s not happy with being Sabrina’s daughter, you know. Other than that, everything’s back to normal in the Grey Area.”
“So you’ve been forgiven for whatever Max was mad at you about.”
Luna nodded.
“Great.” Shane supplied. “That means you can return with me to Ariana’s Dream Realm.”
“Why?”
“Something tells me Omri’s not done with her, or us, yet.”

III

Luna and Shane found themselves back in Young Guardian’s own Dream Realm. She was standing alone, staring into the void. Luna dared to touch her twin’s shoulder to get her attention. Since their earlier confrontation, Shane as the Shadow stood behind and watched from the distance.
“Young Guardian.” Luna whispered.
Ariana the Young Guardian turned to her sister. “I don’t know what to do, Lu. I’ve always loved Aaron, and yet I love Derrick.”
“Don’t let Omri get to you.” Luna supplied. “I’m here now. Let him return and face me.”
Young Guardian shook her head and turned to her sister. “No, Grand Magus. I can’t let you face him alone. He’s one powerful being.”
“On that we agree.” Shadow supplied.
Young Guardian and the Shadow met eyes. “Who is Omri to you?”
“He ordered a Horde against me, making me think the death of my parents was my fault.”
For once in a long time, Young Guardian was speechless. She never got the chance to open her mouth but to gasp. Shadow and the Grand Magus turned around to see the Protector walking up to them with both Schmidt twins. Neither was smiling. The trio could see the colors of their eyes. Protector had golden-red eyes and the Schmidts had glowing green eyes.
“Any luck with Tempest, Grand Magus?” The Protector asked.
“She’s found out who she is, and we’re running out of luck.” Grand Magus supplied. “Look at her and tell me what you see.”
The Protector looked to his wife and love. He could feel her emotional pain. The tug on his soul was magnified by the Pendant-Locket. “What happened, Love? Tell me.”
Young Guardian shook her head, snuggling closer in his arms.
“Why were we all brought here?” Aaron asked.
“One moment I was in bliss and the next, here with you guys.” Aimee remarked. “What’s going on?”
The male voice of the Djinn God Omri boomed in the air. “Wonderful question, Over-Seer. I have the answers.”
Young Guardian tore herself from the Protector’s embrace enough to look to the sky. The Grand Magus, Protector and the Shadow all stood beside her in battle gear, waiting for Omri to make his move. Aaron and Aimee stood, wondering who or what this genie-looking man was, and what it wanted with them all.
“Say nothing now, children.” Omri supplied, cutting off their thoughts.
“Children!” Aaron cried. “How dare you call us children?”
“I don’t think goading him is a good idea.” Shadow supplied, keeping his eye on Omri.
“I dare for all, I dare indeed.” Omri announced. “I am Omri, God of all Djinn.”
“At least we know who’s in charge of the madness.” The Protector quipped, sticking close to Young Guardian’s side.
“Djinn...” Aaron started. He raised his voice. “You’re the one who sent a Horde after the Enchanted Child! I ought to destroy you!”
Omri laughed. “There is no destroying me.” He remarked. “I was around long before those you call Originators. Long before mortals and the Big Lizards roamed the earth.”
“How did you get here?”
“Centuries ago, we were released from our heavenly homes to serve men.”
“The whole granting wishes thing turn bad, huh?” Shadow growled. “So Orthos wasn’t the first to call on you during the Wars?”
“He and O’Dell were also Djinn once-upon-a-time.” Omri explained.
“Stop stalling!” The Grand Magus was getting angry. “Why did you bring us here?”
“To show you mortals what petty thoughts cloud your mind and take hold of your lives.” Omri supplied, eyeing them. “To make you see what weaknesses threaten to destroy,” he glared at Aaron, “what little power you think you may have.”
“We’re Ancient Mystics.” Young Guardian announced proudly. “Do you think to dissuade us?”
Omri continued to laugh. “Dissuade you? I have told you many times before. Djinn exist to serve those who call upon us. It matters none whether our masters are good or evil. All that does matter is what is demanded of us.” He turned back to Aaron. “As for you, Unicorn-Man, blame only one being for Horde Hallows.”
“Sabrina.” Aaron growled under his breath, clenching his fists. “I knew it.”
“Other than Horde Hallows, there hasn’t been anything from Sabrina in months.” Shadow remarked. “She’s no threat to us. You, on the other hand, are.”
“I am glad you see that.” Omri said. “I am disappointed in you, Shadow. I thought you knew better than to underestimate an opponent. You are a strong man, but even strong men have their weaknesses.”
The group looked to Shadow, who stared at Omri with black eyes.
“Don’t let him get to you, Shadow.” The Grand Magus remarked. “He’s just psyching you out.”
“I like that assumption, Grand Magus.” Omri replied. “Do not be so quick to assume you are without weaknesses. None are immune to weakness. It eats away at the very fabric of your soul, threatening to unveil itself to those around you. You may think you have it under control, but be aware. It lurks, lying in wait for the precise moment to destroy you.”
Each of the Crusaders were silent in thought. They knew Omri’s words rung true, but they didn’t want to admit it. Young Guardian feared one thing above all else. The Crusaders were about to be pit against each other’s inner secrets and desires.
Omri was pleased at his handiwork. Now, to seal his actions with a spell.

“What’s deep inside, resurface to see.
“There are secrets that lie in wait for thee.
“In your waking lives, the spell is spoken,
“May the silence within now be broken.”

At the last word, Omri disappeared. The Crusaders returned to their beds, left to wait and see what morning brought.
Story #3:
The Aftermath

The Second-generation Dream Realm Crusaders awoke to a brand new day in the Outer Realm. Derrick Reading was the first to wake up after Omri’s trance-like spell. He thought first of protecting Ariana, and seeing how she was doing. She was still sleeping peacefully in the bed beside him.
Good. She’s unaffected, for now. He thought.
Another voice in his head, quite unlike his own, cried. You know she doesn’t love you. Aaron’s her lover, did you know that? Always has been, always will be.
The Pendant on his neck glowed, but he ignored it. Instead, he listened to the second voice more as he started his day.
Aren’t you tired of protecting the one you love, only to realize she loves another?
This voice was getting out of hand and a little annoying.
She loves me, not Aaron. Derrick argued with himself. Ariana married me, didn’t she?
All the while thinking about Aaron. The second voice growled.
That statement had Derrick thinking.
He tried not to speak to his wife at breakfast, Ariana tried her best to get him to speak to her, and the children were worried for their parents. So was the new addition to the house, Juliet. It seemed the Reading parents were oblivious to their children in their silent fight with each other.
All through breakfast, once the rest of the family was awake, dressed, and finished eating, he ignored the looks he felt her giving him.
Let her think something’s wrong. The second voice supplied. Maybe she’ll pay attention to you instead of someone else for a change?
Be quiet, you. Whoever you are, stay out of my head.
I’m only telling you the truth. Why won’t she?
Good point. Derrick announced in his head.
After breakfast, he set his breakfast dishes on the sink. Ariana was silently washing them by hand, her mind on something else entirely.
“When were you going to tell me?” Derrick asked quietly.
“Tell you what?” She asked, just as quietly.
“That you were still in love with Aaron.”
“Derrick, stop it!” He turned to see his stepdaughter, Kelina Erin. Ariana’s daughter by Aaron when she was only thirteen.
Ah, the ever-popular Enchanted Child...the voice in his head sneered.
“Stay out of this, Kelina Erin.” Derrick growled.
“I won’t because she’s my Momma.” Kelly supplied. “She loved Daddy because of me. She loved him because of Mrs. Gertrude’s anger and hate. She loved him because he and Aunt Aimee stuck by her when Mrs. Gertrude was mean and wanted to hurt them.”
“Honey, how would you know