Dusk Before the Dawn, Lady Adellandra Dratianos [ebook reader web .txt] 📗

be Lord Guardian’s successor one day. She is not from this Realm, but Gramere blooded her as an Ancient Mystic, so she carries our family magic as well. She will learn her magic on her own, so please be patient with her.
Mrs. Gertrude kept her stare on Ariana as she commanded. “Gerald, take her to the twins. They’ll show her the ropes.”
“Yes, dear.” Mr. Gertrude said, moving to take her hand. After a moment, she took it, looking up at him. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
“Why am I here?” Ariana asked, curious.
“Mrs. Woods sent you here to live with us for a while.” Mr. Gertrude remarked. “We’re gonna have lots of fun.”
Ariana believed him, smiling.

Aluna felt alone as she waited in the car. Just an hour ago, she did a terrible thing. Using a potion of her mother’s, she took the memories from her own flesh and blood. Now she sat staring at the Shore Point Orphanage, tears in her tiny eyes. Already she felt a giant piece of her was missing. The Forgetfulness Spell worked that quickly, and Aluna Star Woods was sad to see her twin sister go.
They’d done everything together, learning their powers and teaching each other if one of their siblings weren’t around. They were inseparable, but it had come time. Aluna knew it from the moment she woke up that morning with a terrifying premonition in her head. She knew she’d have to give up her other half in order for Destiny to kick in.
Aluna wiped the tears from her silver-blue eyes, catching her reflection in the mirror. She stared at her eyes and wished with all her might that she could change them. She didn’t need any reminders of who she once was. With a blink, they changed colors. From silver-blue, the color that showed the Mystic Magic in her soul, they turned ocean-blue, the color of the California shoreline. When she opened them again, she saw her mother walking out of the building.
Without a word, Susan Woods sat behind the wheel and started the engine. Before putting the car in gear, she turned to her young daughter. Aluna saw the tears in her mother’s eyes as Susan’s hand caressed her cheek. She, too, was sad to see Ariana go. This set of twins may have been the Mystic’s most powerful and the pain of losing one of them hurt.
Susan put the car in gear and drove away. Aluna was left staring at the building where she abandoned her twin sister.
Someday, Aluna thought to herself. We will be together again.
She closed her Empathy power to save herself from the amount of pain she felt deep within her.

Susan took Aluna to her Grandmother’s house. Susan pulled up the narrow driveway that led to her mother’s house. She looked to her young daughter when she asked the question.
“What are we doing here?”
“It’s your turn, Aluna.” Susan replied.
“My turn, Mother?”
“Your turn to be away from me.”
“Why?”
“Needn’t ask questions, darling one.” Susan tried to hold in her tears. “Your grandmother Dixilynne, my mother, is going to take you for awhile.”
“Why can I not stay with you?” Aluna asked sadly.
“I told you.”
“Destiny, Mother?”
“Yes, darling. Destiny.”
Susan pulled up the driveway and stopped the engine. “It’s going to be hard honey, but we have to do it.” She stared into her young daughter’s eyes, which had turned a different color. “Why did you change your eyes?”
“No reminders.”
Susan reached into her purse and pulled out the second vial of the Forgetfulness Spell. “Speaking of no reminders.”
Aluna took it, thinking to cast the spell in her mind silently. Not even her mother knew she thought of such a powerful spell.
I know this will work.
Aluna uncorked it and looked at her mother’s face, drinking it. To herself, she thought. I will retain my memories and magic. I will not forget what I have learned, nor will I sever the connection I have with my twin sister.
Susan made sure she drank it all before taking it from her hand.
“Follow me, Aluna Star.” Susan supplied.
With that, they headed up to the house.
To Aluna, it was a creepy house. It looked like a castle from another land, deep, dark and mysterious. There were even bats in the bell tower, and the faint ring sounded in the air. Aluna was confused and scared. The gigantic bell wasn’t even moving. She shivered, moving closer to her mother’s pant leg.
“Okay, young one?” Susan asked. Aluna nodded her head, following her mother up the stairs.
Susan knocked on the door and waited.
“Come now, Aluna Star. It’s not all that bad.” Susan replied, trying to smile for her. She squeezed the girl’s hand. “Everything will be as it should soon. Just watch.”
When the door opened, Aluna saw the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. She was tall, with long black hair, silver-blue eyes and sparkling smile. Only, when the woman saw who it was, her smile turned to a frown.
“Susan.” The woman gestured for them to follow her inside.
“You know why I’m here, Mother.”
“Aye.”
From afar echoed a young girl’s voice. “Who’s there, Aunt Dixie?”
A little girl a little older than Aluna came from another room. She greeted her visitors.
“Hello Susie.” The girl smiled. “What are you doing here?”
Susan smiled at her young cousin. “Nice to see you, too, Shannon.”
“Don’t dawdle. Come on in, you two.” Dixilynne closed the door behind them. She gave Susan a look.
Is this the one? Dixilynne sent to Susan in her mind. It was called telepathy, and all four of them had it. Only, Shannon couldn’t hear the conversation.
Susan nodded. This is Aluna Star, the younger one. Just as Shannon was the younger of Aunt Sara’s girls. Granpere doesn’t want Shannon to know the truth.
I understand. Dixilynne supplied. “Tell me, whose child is this?”
“A friend of David’s family.” Susan said, making up a lie as she went along. “Her name is Aluna Star Sister.”
Dixilynne gestured to Shannon, who was standing aside, watching the little red-blond haired girl watch her from behind her cousin’s skirt.
“Shannon, why don’t you take Aluna down to the building and show her around, okay?”
“Sure thing, Aunt Dixie.” Eleven-year-old Shannon Ryan smiled at the little girl, holding out her hand. “Don’t be afraid, Aluna. I won’t bite you.”
Aluna looked from her mother to her grandmother and finally to Shannon before smiling back and taking her hand.
Imprint

Publication Date: 08-12-2009

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Dedication:
After "The Spirit of Mal'estar" and before "Young Guardian Trilogy," certain events were srewn into motion. No Ancient Mystic would imagine what would happen next...