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

/> She’d never experienced this kind of thing before. She’d read it in books but never in real life. Stuff like this just didn’t happen.

“Resurractum Brotanius Portum!”

Ariana’s voice boomed, echoing to the very reaches of the graveyard. Juliet held on, watching and waiting for something to happen, if anything.
“Watch and learn, Juliet Grey. You’re about to see just what magic is all about.” Ariana’s voice seemed to echo in the air.
It didn’t sound like her, not that Juliet really knew the difference. Heck, it didn’t even look like her. There was a certain glare in the older woman’s eyes that didn’t seem right.
“Watch the sight, Juliet. Listen with all your hearing. Outreach yourself in your mind and pay attention.” Ariana’s voice whispered. “Mark is waiting for you to speak to him.”
Sure enough, as Juliet turned her head away from Ariana’s, she saw a vision of a dark-haired, grey-eyed Mark Grey.
“M-Mark?” Juliet whimpered. Her eyes were wide, her face almost as white as her brother’s ghost.
Mark’s head nodded. “Yes, dear Juliet. It’s me.”
His voice was but an echoed whisper when he spoke.
Juliet looked to Ariana, who smiled at her like a mother to a child who was learning a lesson on her own. She turned back to Mark’s ghost.
“Why did you bring me here, Young Guardian?” Mark’s ghost asked. “I was having such fun with Marie and Destiny.”
“Marie and Destiny?” Juliet asked.
“My wife and daughter in the –.” Mark stopped in the middle of the sentence, looking to Ariana for approval. Once Ariana nodded her head with a smile, he continued. “Dream Realm. That’s where I live now.”
Juliet didn’t know what to say.
“Overwhelmed?” Ariana asked her. She looked to Mark’s floating body. “Tell her, Panther.”
“You brought me here as Mark and still call me Panther?” Mark smiled.
“Show her, tell her about the Crusades.”
“The Crusades, where Sabrina had Caroline kill me?” Mark scoffed. “The only reason I fought against that little wench was to protect you.”
“Now is not the time for hatred, Panther Grey.” Ariana replied. “Tell your living sister what happened to you. Give her peace.”
Mark looked at Ariana with a solemn gleam to his dark grey eyes. “What about you, my Young Guardian? Shall I give you peace as well?”
The winds around the trio changed, calming to a slight breeze. The air around Ariana changed from bright glowing-black to brilliant rainbow. Juliet felt calmer, more comfortable, though she didn’t know why.
She looked to her new friend. Ariana’s face was no longer smiling. Instead, she was staring at Mark’s face, her hand touching Juliet’s shoulder. She looked on the verge of tears.
“Please.” Ariana begged in a whisper. “For her.”
“Very well.” Mark said softly. “I was adopted by the Parkers, who were nice enough to bury me in their family plot. I grew up with an older sister and a younger one. The older one was named Bonnie Marie. I fell in love with her, but knew I couldn’t have her. The younger one was Caroline, a real spoiled brat. When Bonnie and Caroline fought one night, Bonnie raced out of the house, running away. She was never seen alive again. The entire family changed, especially me. I fell into a deep depression no one could get me out of.
“In two years, the only ones left were Mrs. Parker, Caroline and myself. I roomed across the hall from Bonnie’s old room. Caroline was at one end of the upstairs hall and Mrs. Parker was at the other. Young Guardian came to us two months to the two-year anniversary of Bonnie’s death. Mrs. Parker brought her to the mansion, too much in delusions to realize Ariana wasn’t hers.”
“Even though, he befriended me.” Ariana whispered. “I was lonely for the loss of love and happiness I’d once had in Shore Point. I was separated from my new family and best friends, left alone in the world with only my wits and the clothes on my back. I sensed the sadness at the Parker Mansion, making it my own. As a Crusader, I could see this family needed loving attention. Being sworn to keep my powers a secret, I did everything in my power to help them. In several months, I’d come to love Mark as not only a brother, but a friend.”
“One night, Ariana and I had a fight of our own about her best friend Aaron.” Mark continued. “Across the hall, I could hear her crying. I went to her, only to find she was sick. So sick, I had to rush her to the hospital. We found out the Maiden Sabrina was after her. Soon after, I was visited by her now-husband Derrick and her twin sister Luna. For the next few months, we were trying to fight the Dominionite Maiden. Aaron came along not two days later, claiming he felt her in danger.”
“He was right.” Ariana replied softly. “I was kidnapped by Sabrina’s brother Damian, taken to his dungeons in Dark Tower. It took all the Crusaders, Derrick, Aaron, Mark and Luna, along with two well-known Companions Katherine Hawk and Wolf Stargazer to rescue me.”
“We weren’t left alone for more than two weeks before Sabrina struck again. This time, she was in our world, and brought with her a very powerful gem. It was called the Dominionite Crystal and it was to give her powers while she was here in the Outer Realm.” Mark looked to his necklace. “Little did she know I now had certain powers of my own. I wasn’t about to let her get away with hurting Ariana Woods. I’d lost one sister to death, and I wasn’t about to lose another. The Crusaders met here, in this very cemetery, to fight Sabrina and her new Dominionite Warriors. I used what little power I had, defending Ariana and my new friends. Unfortunately, that power wasn’t enough. She had more of it, and proved it by commanding my own adopted sister Caroline to kill me.”
By this time, Ariana’s face was covered in tears. “I tried to save you, Mark. I’m sorry I failed you.”
“You didn’t fail me, Young Guardian.” Mark whispered. “Lord Guardian made me a Companion, didn’t he? Not to mention I reunited with Bonnie Marie, making her my love for eternity.”
“What happened with Sabrina?” Juliet was afraid to ask. The moment was too emotional to say much, but she had to know.
“Once we were in the Dream Realm, I had turned to a black panther, which is how I got my Companion name.” Mark supplied from his spot. “The Crusaders were taken to the Dream Realm’s Lava Lake. Sabrina used Imagery Magic to change the Lake to look exactly like the cemetery. Before Sabrina could do anything, Ariana used powerful magic to Exile her to the Unknown. Aaron used his own Unicorn Magic to Exile Sabrina’s brother Damian. We found we weren’t finished, yet. The Dominionite Master himself, Orthos, met us there. We were ready for him. Lord Guardian and his younger brother Lord Maximaniac were with us when we Exiled him to the Unknown to join his children.” Mark turned to Ariana. “You see, you didn’t fail me.”
Ariana nodded her head. “Ready to go home?”
Juliet nodded back. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Step back so I can send him back.” Ariana supplied, wiping tears from her eyes. “I promise to visit you as soon as I can, Panther.”
“You don’t need to promise.” Mark smiled. “Take care of the young one.”
Ariana smiled back, agreeing.
Juliet stood back while Ariana’s arms went back to the air.

“I thank the Ancient Mystic Gods this night,
“For helping me with Magic bright,
“Return this one to whence he came,
“Forastu –.”

At that, Ariana fainted. Juliet caught her as she fell. Another voice echoed the end of the spell from afar.

“Forastu Decantum Bane!”

Juliet looked to see another reddish-blond haired woman running up to them. Her hand was out and a brilliant orange Magic wind flew from her fingers, sending Mark’s ghost away. Juliet didn’t know what to say.
“I’m Ariana’s twin, Luna.” Luna huffed. “Let me help you get her home, the Magic way.”
“Huh?” Juliet was stunned.
Luna blinked. “Trust me. Hold my hand and close your eyes.”
Juliet did what she was told. In moments, she felt her body tingling, being yanked from one place to another.

IV

Sabrina the Maiden of the Unknown, now Earthbound, smiled as she came out of her hiding spot.
“Brilliant move, Young Guardian.” She whispered into the night air. “Giving me the very spell to execute my newest plan.”
She went over the Mark’s grave, where just a hint of him remained.
That hint was still aware of everything that went on. When he saw Sabrina, he frowned.
“What are you planning, Maiden of Mayhem?”
“Only your resurrection.” Sabrina supplied with a laugh. “I believe you will love the happy little reunion with your family. Give me the necklace.”
Mark held onto it. “Not on your death.”
“Very funny. Hand it over.” Sabrina cried. “Or watch while your dear, departed sister Bonnie Marie is held under my control.”
That hit a spark in Mark’s eyes. Rather than see anyone, dead or living, under Sabrina’s control again, he took the necklace off and handed it to her.
“What do you plan on doing with it?” Mark asked.
“You will see.” Sabrina fingered the stone, opening the locket to find a picture of Young Guardian. “How sweet?” She looked at him, sticking her tongue out. “How disgusting?” She walked away, leaving Mark watching. His image shimmered, as if wanting to disappear.
“Looks like the spell did not work.” Sabrina crooned. “Perhaps our Young Guardian does not have a full grasp of her Dark Magic enough to perform it correctly?”
“Leave her out of it!” Mark cried. “Send me back to the Dream Realm where I belong.”
Sabrina shook her head. “I do not think so. I have a better idea.”
With the necklace around her neck, she called the same spell Ariana had when bringing Mark back. When she was done, five individuals stood beside her, pale as death but solid as life.
Sabrina smiled.
Mark, who was one of them, found Marie and held her. He also found his adopted parents, Jack and Diane Parker and stood to defend them.
“What a joyful reunion?” Sabrina sneered. She turned to the remaining two, members of her own family, but she didn’t know that. “Finally, Melody Anne. I have you right where I want you.”
“Sabrina!” Melody Jacobs’ voice peeped. “I’m supposed to be dead. How did you do this?”
“Yours is not to ask, merely to obey.”
The other Ancient Mystic named Angela Jacobs-Pritchard stood beside her. “You’ll not speak to my mother that way.”
“Silly woman. Melody was not your mother. Elisabeth was.” Sabrina spoke up, laughing.
“Take us back where we belong, or else.” Melody cried.
“Or else what?” Sabrina laughed. “You will use Magic on me? Hah! Surprise, you have no Magic. I have it all, right here.” She showed them the necklace. “Unless you –”
“What are you going to do with us?” Angela asked, frightened.
Sabrina laughed a laugh so shrilling, it frightened even the toughest of Crusaders.
“Whatever I want.”
Mark shared a look with Bonnie Marie and the two Ancient Mystics. Jack and Diane Parker were silent, holding onto each other. If Young Guardian and her sisters didn’t do something soon, all hell was going to break loose, right in the Outer Realm.

V

“We’re here, you can open your eyes now.” Luna announced.
Juliet opened them to find herself in a room on a bed. Luna began barking orders.
“Caleb, get Aimee. We need the Reviving Potion.” She told a little boy with brown