A Deep Blue Stone Atop A Dais Novels & Stories

The walls glittered with embedded crystals that caught and reflected Ursula's witch-light, multiplying it into thousands of blue stars. But it was the center of the chamber that commanded attention. A perfect circle of standing stones, each about waist-high, surrounded a raised dais of polished black stone. And on that dais, pulsing with a soft silver light that seemed to bend and distort the air around it, was a crystal unlike any I had ever seen. "That's it," Ursula breathed, her voice hushed with awe. "It has to be."

Carved from single piece of stone unlike anything else in the city. Not volcanic black like the Scorchmark. Not the pale gray of the surrounding forest. *White.* Pure white stone that seemed to generate its own light. And on its surface— The twin crescents again. Deeply carved. Enormous. Covering the entire dais. Luna walked toward it. The demon blood was so loud now it was almost sound. Almost *voice.* Not her father speaking through it. The blood itself. *Recognizing.* *Returning.* She stepped onto the dais.

With a loud scream he came to rest at the end of the tunnel which opened towards a large chamber adorned with chairs in two straight lines facing it's other while at the end of the chamber laid a golden throne and on the top of the empty throne a crown was kept. All manner of precious stones adorn the crown but on particular one seems to caught his fancy,a blue glowing stone at the top of the crown.the stone which seems to attract him,keeps drawing him forward till he arrives in front of the throne.with one coordinated move he pick up the stone from its base holding it in his palms but a scurry of a mice frightened him as he clenched his palm in fear crushing the stone.With trembling hands a

Something ancient and powerful and terrifyingly familiar. "Lyra!" Xander's voice was distant now, muffled by the pounding of blood in my ears. I wanted to turn back, to reassure him, but I couldn't stop. The pull was too strong. The tunnel opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in darkness high above. At its center stood a raised dais, upon which rested a pedestal of pure, crystalline light. And atop that pedestal... "The Heartstone," I whispered, the name coming to me from some deep, instinctual place.

Then he nodded toward the steps. “Go,” he said quietly. I climbed the steps alone with each footstep echoing through the silent hall. At the top of the platform, I stopped in front of the obsidian throne. For a brief moment I looked at it, taking in the weight of what it represented. Then I turned away from it and Instead of sitting, I faced the crowd. I stepped forward until I stood at the very edge of the dais. Below me, Dante remained where he was, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched.

As I passed him, his eyes narrowed, his smug smile faltering slightly at the absolute lack of fear on my face. I stopped in front of the pedestal. The Moonstone was a jagged, raw crystal, pulsing with an eerie, blinding white light that made the hairs on my arms stand on end. The air around it was thick with ancient, oppressive power. “Elena of the Northern Wilds,” Councilman Vance intoned, stepping up to the edge of the dais, his heavy silver staff resting between his hands. “Place your right hand flat upon the sacred stone. State your loyalty to King Dominic and the realm. If your heart is pure, the stone shall remain white. If you harbor deceit, your life is forfeit.”

She thought I was going to die. They led me to the Great Hall. The entire court was there. Hundreds of nobles stood on the balconies, looking down at a long bridge made of clear glass. Below the glass was a drop so deep I couldn't see the bottom. All I could see were the jagged, black points of obsidian spears waiting for a sacrifice. "The Trial of Blood!" the Arch-Druid shouted. He was an old man with a long white beard and eyes that looked like cold marbles. "If the girl is of royal blood, the glass will hold. If she is a pretender, the glass will vanish."

Creighton is standing high up on the balcony, watching me with an intense, focused expression. My father stands near the front row of elders, his face pale as a sheet of paper. I walk straight up the stone steps of the raised dais and stop right before the altar. On the left side of the altar sits a silver ritual blade resting on velvet cloth. In the center sits a small stone bowl filled to the brim with dark, bubbling Vile. On the right side, the sacred flame burns brightly inside a brazier. The Grand Elder steps forward, his long robes sweeping across the stone floor.

she said with a giggle. I was so nervous as I walked down the stairs. Atlas's father had stayed by my side as Elsa dealt with Atlas and the guys. Now that we started walking again, he extended his right arm for me to take again and we headed out the door to the gardens where the ceremony would take place. As we got closer to the area, I could start to see all the decorations and everything more clearly. It was breath-taking to say the least. All the tables where the after-party was going to be held were covered in pink silk tablecloths. The center pieces were pink roses inset in gold flower vases. The chairs were covered in the same silk cloth. They also had a gold sash tied around them as a

she added, and I shifted my gaze to the huge glass box which contained the necklace, one of the classiest and expensive necklaces in the world. It was a highly anticipated jewelry and I know that a number of people are vying for it today. Everything about the jewelry speaks quality. It was a deep blue diamond, stubbed in a pendant, Toison d'or with a dark grayish blue color under ordinary light because of trace amounts of boron within its crystal structure. It's definitely f**g expensive, but I'll try to get it to make Vivian happy. "Heard there's a notable guest tonight.." Martin, my friend, spoke after swilling some wine.