Novel & Cerita A Deep Blue Stone Atop A Dais

The air carried tender moss bud, resinous pine needles, and the fore-scent of ceremonial incense. “This drape is too dense,” I said softly to the nearest decorator, a young lycan female. “It won’t let the moonlight through. Replace it with a sheer veil. The rite must be seen… not only heard.” She nodded and darted off. At the center, before the glowing stone dais, the throne awaited—not the usual royal seat, but the ancient Moonlight Throne: carved gray moonstone veined in silver, which glows at the full. Before it, on its own plinth, the Moonlight Crown hovered: an openwork silver crescent set with luminous, ensorcelled moon-crystals. Not a jewel. A legacy.

The gates were decorated with numerous accessories that might blind anybody if the sun hit too hard. I blinked twice, How wealthy are people from Nayak to be able to decorate an ordinary gate like this? I noticed the golden decorations were some sort of motif that trailed around the door and met in the middle of the door where a blue stone lies. The blue stone looked oddly familiar. The art seemed too beautiful to be done by a human being. “ We should say hi to the one who brought you here?” Wait what? It wasn't the palace? I stared at the blue stone at the center of the door and it stirred right before my eyes like it was waking up from a deep slumber immediately after I touched the door.

She then turned to Hakyi. "Agarthian?" Hakyi shook his head, "Atlantian, king of the sea." Daeira's lips formed an 'O' but remained standing in a distance not really wanting to disturb the important conversation between two kings as she turned to the two hunters instead. "Look what I found." she held her palm to them while they looked at the rainbow colored stone. "I've been seeing a lot of different things in different beaches we went. There are so many stones I wanted to see upclose from the waters but it's too deep for me and GD said not to dive deep." she then clapped her hands once, "I know. Will you guys help me? I just wanted to see that blue stone and red stone under the sun light.

There was a hiss at our feet and the stone cracked, opening on its own. Lucien placed the tip of the dagger into the slit, a puff of air sounded and you could see the glow of blue light beneath the stone. When the stone moved and slid back, another pedestal rose from underneath and stopped when it was seated in front of the two thrones. This time, it, too, was gold. Lucien laughed. “What were you expecting?” “I’m not sure” I whispered to him, not wanting anyone else to hear how stupid I felt, thinking they were going to bleed me like a stuck pig.

This was such a huge ceremony for them. Then my gaze caught on Linda. She sat near the front, draped in a stunningly provocative red dress. She sat as though she owned the moon itself, legs crossed, chin high, her eyes fixed on me with daggers so sharp I felt them prick my skin. Cauldron sat off to her side, broad-shouldered and imposing, flanked by elite warriors. They looked like statues carved from stone, unblinking, emotionless but all handsome as hell. And then… There was the ancient stone. Placed upon a black velvet pillow atop a raised pillar.

Obedient. They dragged me into the corridor, down a spiral stairwell slick with moss and age. I caught glimpses of what lay beyond—chambers carved from rock, weapons hung on walls, maps, old artifacts humming with old magic. Then we reached a vast underground chamber. And I stopped breathing. The walls glowed with a faint blue light, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat. In the center stood a massive stone dais with ancient runes circling it. A pedestal rose from the center, and on it sat a jagged black stone that shimmered with shifting colors—blue, violet, green, then black again.

The lights in the hall dimmed, and a single, powerful spotlight hit the center of the stage. “And now,” the spokesman said, his voice dropping to a reverent tone. “The final piece. The crown jewel of our collection.” The assistants brought out the necklace. It was a stunning blue diamond, surrounded by a halo of smaller white diamonds, set on a platinum chain that looked like liquid moonlight. Under the chandelier’s glow, the blue stone reflected a deep, oceanic light that danced across the walls of the hall. It was so beautiful it felt illegal to look at.

Viridios answered. The stepped into a large, empty receiving hall. The floor was covered in a riot of carpets. Drapes hung from the ceiling in so many colors that Bailey's vision swam. In the center of it all stood a large dais. On it, a single twisted wooden throne. The legs of the throne grew from the dais itself, branching up into the seat. Flowers bloomed along the top of the throne. It was breathtaking. In front of the dais was a gong made of malachite. Beckett slowed and pulled Bailey to a stop. Jayce stepped up beside them.

Some still carried that faint wariness in their eyes, the unease of people who hadn't quite figured out what to make of the woman who came back from the dead trailing shadows. I understood. I hadn't quite figured that out myself. And at the end of the carpet, standing on raised stone stairs at the center of the coliseum, was Darien. My breath left me. He was dressed in a deep blue suit with gold trim that caught the light every time the snow shifted around him. His dark hair was swept back from his face, and his silver eyes found mine the instant the doors opened, locking on with an intensity that made the entire crowd disappear. He was holding a scepter at his side, a tall staff topped with

I touched the blue stone, tracing its cold edges. "You keep staring at my hand. Is there a flaw in the setting?" The attendant looked up, flustered. "Forgive me, Lady! I did not mean to be impolite. I have only seen the descriptions of that stone in the ancient archives. To see it in the flesh... it is mesmerizing." I frowned. "It’s a blue glass replica, surely. Why the interest?" The clerk’s eyes went wide. "Lady, do you truly not know the legend of what you carry?"