Chapter 25

The van shook as Alfred drove over a bumpy road. Amara was breathing slowly and had her eyes closed. I was starting to feel nauseous and my breakfast kept coming up to my throat. It had only been an hour since we left. Hellen had already explained that it would take an entire day to get there.

“From Crimsyn State, it’s not as far as it is from Stellaregno.” she told.

We would reach this mystical place tomorrow morning. They still hadn’t told me the name of where we’re going.

“You’ll find out.” Alfred grinned. I huffed and rolled my eyes.

Hellen had packed our meals but none of us wanted to eat. After a few hours, the sky changed to blue and a blush of purple. The Stars became more prominent. Hellen offered to take the wheel. I pulled out some blankets that Hellen had packed and passed them to Amara. Since she was the one shivering the most, couldn’t blame her, though. It was like we were sitting in an ice cream freezer.

Now, we were on a smooth road. No more bumps so Amara calmed down.

“How much longer?” she complained.

“Go to sleep,” I said. “It’ll pass the time.”

But Amara wasn’t tired. She squinted out the window and Stargazed to Aries. I was tempted to do the same but I remembered that it was too risky. Alfred and Hellen were whispering to each other.

“What are they talking about?” Amara said in such a low voice I barely understood. I debated asking her what she said but my brain arranged the words correctly.

“No idea,” I mouthed.

“Belle,” she called.

“Yeah?”

“Are you scared?” she asked.

“No. Amara, we are completely safe. Don’t worry.” I promised.

“No,” she sat up. “Are you afraid of fighting in a war?”

I hesitated. Of course I was scared, I was terrified but I didn’t know if I should lie and give her comfort or tell her the truth which would make me look weak.

“I am scared but...I’m going to try.”

She closed her eyes and spread out her legs. After a while I did the same.

I was back in that ice land. This time the Star Spirit was standing right in front of me. There was blue Stardust surrounding her but it looked like it was frozen in the air, or in slow motion perhaps.

“You made it out of Crimsyn State,” she pointed out. “How does that feel?”

“Not much different,” I admitted. “I mean...I’m stuck in a car and I can’t really see anything because the windows are blacked out.”

“Where you’re going is the most enchanted and sacred place in all of Stellaregno. Though, it’s not a part of our kingdom. There is a reason it’s kept away from all the people, because it’s a holy place, it takes time to get there and whoever goes must have patience.”

“You are very lucky, Annabelle.” She smiled.

I tried to do the same.

“I came to tell you that King Jaxon has plans to attack Crimsyn State,” she told. “He’s threatening to hunt down the rebel base unless you return to Hydrus.”

“But, he doesn’t even know where it is.”

“Yes, but he’s already sent teams of soldiers to find you all and stop the rebels.” she said. “You must hurry back as soon as you’ve completed your task. You have to prepare to fight.”

Something churned inside my stomach. Bile arose in my throat and my mouth tasted like metal.

“It’s all over the news so your friends will know to be ready for an attack,” she said. “But King Jaxon didn’t give you a deadline so you can just calm down and enjoy your trip.”

“Oh, sure.” I started. “Enjoy while everyone I know is in danger.”

“Annabelle, he’s just doing this to scare you.” she told. “There is no need to worry. You must complete your journey and decide what to do next.”

“I don’t know,” I confessed. “Please help me.”

“Annabelle,” her voice changed. Her eyes had become glassy. She placed her hands on my shoulders. “Here’s some advice: whatever you do make sure it’s what you want. Don’t leave Crimsyn State if you don’t want to.”

“What are you talking about?” I almost shouted. “I’m never leaving. I just don’t know how to lead an army.”

“You have help.” she said. “I know you’ll do great. You have to be strong.”

She dissolved in a ball of blue dust. I kicked it around which only made me sneeze.

I was roused by a cold hand shaking me awake.

“Belle, we’re almost here.” Amara said. She was wrapped in her blanket and staring out the window, which was pointless.

“Did you sleep well?” Hellen asked. She was still driving. “You looked restless.”

“I’m fine.” I said.

Amara made her hair again. She offered to do mine but I managed to braid it myself. Her blue eyes were swollen and her gingerish copper hair was a mess. She brushed it out with her fingers but that didn’t help.

All of a sudden, the sky changed colour. It was now neon pink and orange with hints of silver and gold. I could tell even with the blacked windows that there was something different outside.

Hellen stopped the van. “This is as far as we can go. Girls, get out of the van. We’re here!”

Amara and I threw off our blankets and jumped out of the van. We squinted since the Starlight pierced our eyes. It felt like we just came out of a movie theater.

There was only plain ground at first, only mud and dirt but it didn’t bother any of us for some reason. We traveled a few miles on foot.

“When you start to see greenery.” Alfred panted. “You’ll know we’re close.”

“So, this isn’t the place we’re looking for? Thank the Stars,” Amara joked. Hellen laughed halfheartedly.

“What does it look like exactly?” I asked Hellen.

“I’ve only been there once and so have you but it’s not something that one can describe with words.” she said.

“I see something,” Amara pointed to what looked like green grass.

“We’re here!” Hellen smiled.

The garden was as big as a football field. It was surrounded by small bushes, creating a sort of fence around it.

“There’s one for each Constellation,” Hellen whispered as we walked closer. “You two are descendants of the Twelve Major so you garden will be at the start.”

“How will they know which one is theirs?” Alfred asked. No doubt he’d never been here before.

“Your Constellation’s Sign will be engraved on your garden, in other words, it’ll be printed in the grass. If you concentrate hard enough you’ll be able to call on your Constellation and it will send down Star Stones.” Hellen said.

We were standing inches away from the bushes. There was an ally so we could walk between the gardens. I looked up at the sky, it kept changing colours between pink, orange and blue with hints of silver and gold.

The Stars looked like they’d been amplified. I felt like I could almost touch them. The Constellations were huge and I felt like they were going to fall on the ground. Stars twinkled on their own.

We were walking through the pathway when Hellen said: “Girls, go find your gardens.”

Alfred and Hellen disappeared, no doubt finishing their own garden but Alfred should’ve come with me. I was too mesmerized to think about it though. I passed the gardens which were each dedicated to every single Constellation and were the size of a football field or even bigger.

“I found mine!” Amara announced. She stepped in her garden. I don’t know what happened after that since I couldn’t see what was happening thanks to the large bushes concealing and separating each garden.

I decided to get my Virgo Star Stone first. I found my garden and nearly gasped. Though it was just a plain garden with only green grass. It was sprinkled with blue Stardust and I felt more powerful there. Virgo was shining above me.

“Annabelle,” called a familiar voice. I turned around, it was the Star Spirit. She was dressed in a heavy white gown with jewelry which was mostly stones from Virgo. Her hair was golden and curled. She had a glow around her which announced she was a heavenly being.

She stepped a little closer, she smelled of Stargazer Lilies. “Welcome to Celestial Gardens.”

I stared at my surroundings and at Virgo. There were shooting Stars but I knew they were Star Stones, they fell in Virgo’s garden. It really did look like it was raining Stars.

“How are you here?” I asked as soon as I found my voice.

“I live here most of the time.” she told. “I can leave if you want me to. You can pray in peace.”

“No, that’s okay.” I said. I closed my eyes and pictured Virgo. I thought of it’s brightest Star and breaking out a small piece of it. I opened my eyes. The entire garden was shining now. Virgo illuminating it. Crystal like balls in different shapes starting to fall down from the sky. They covered the grass and radiated so much Celestial Energy that I felt like I was capable of doing anything. I picked up a Star Stone, it was shaped like a five point Star. I pocketed it. Stargazer Lilies blooming everywhere, sprinkling Stardust on the grass. That’s when I noticed the Stardust frozen in the air, as if it was in slow motion, or trapped in time.

I turned to the Star Spirit. She was fidgeting with her hair. It was hard to see, all of a sudden blue and grey mist filled the garden.

“It’s just the Celestial Energy from the Star Stones dissolving in the air.”

“I know that,” I confirmed with a smile. I felt lighter here, but also more strong. I felt like I could do anything, that was just the Celestial Energy coming from each corner of the garden.

I walked out of Virgo’s Celestial Garden and smiled at the Star Spirit. I watched as her figure turned ghost like and she vanished, leaving Stardust in her place. Amara was still in her Celestial Garden, no doubt.

I passed the gardens of the Twelve Major Constellations. Virgo’s garden was the sixth garden. Aries was the first and after the last, Pisces came Ophiuchus. I repeated the method I did when I wanted a stone from Virgo. I dodged all the Star Stones raining down on me. Ophiuchus’ symbol was engraved in the grass, just like Virgo’s. When I opened my eyes, I gasped. The entire garden had been covered in Star Stones. The mist was green and gold, Celestial Energy radiated into me and the rest evaporated. My Sign burned but I ignored it.

I walked around the garden nudging the stones with my foot to make a path. There was one Star Stone I found interesting. It was the largest out of all of them and it had a greenish aura around it. I came near it and heard a hissing sound, like it was telling me to choose it. As soon as I picked it up my Sign burned so hard, the pain shot up to my head and I collapsed. My heart was racing and my breathing fastened. Though I was still dizzy, I managed to pick up the stone and examine it without losing consciousness.

I saw something moving in there, I squinted into the glassy stone. It looked like there was a small piece of black thread in it. I assumed it was leftover Celestial Energy. I ignored it’s twisting and turning inside the stone. It would evaporate out anyway. I quickly put it in my pocket, it made a clicking sound as it clashed with the Virgo stone.

“Hello!” said a giddy male voice. I screamed, jumped back and fell. Standing above me was a Star Spirit, I could tell because of his ghostly figure. An old man dressed in all white with his silver hair neatly brushed back. He was big and tall with green eyes and a smile that reminded me of someone.

“Who are you?” I got to my feet. “What are you doing here?” I knew that Star Spirits roamed their Constellation’s gardens but he didn’t have to startle me.

“Is this the kind of way you treat you grandparents?” said a woman’s voice. Behind me was a feeble old woman, also dressed in all white with bright red hair hidden between grey streaks. Another Star Spirit? But she said grandparents. Mom’s parents were dead. These are spirits of my ancestors, then. I remembered something I was taught in school: Star Spirits can visit whenever they want, but spirits of our ancestors can only be visited at certain times, in certain places.

“Who are you two?” I demanded.

“Right!” the man said. “You haven’t met us.”

“Of course she hasn’t.” the woman told. “We’ve been dead for fifteen years! The child wouldn’t remember us.”

“I am Grayson Ophiuchus.” The man held out his hand.

“I’m Ariana Hydrus Ophiuchus.” she told. “We’re Eloise’s parents.”

My mouth fell open. “You’re my . . .

.” The word came out with difficulty.

“Yes,” they chorused, as if they were bored. The old woman looked like she was trying to say:

“You’re Star Spirits?” I asked.

“No,” the answered simultaneously.

“We’re just spirits not Star Spirits.” Grayson said. “We can only visit our descendants in Celestial Gardens but cannot communicate any other way.”

“Where’s mom?” I wondered.

“She says it’s too painful to meet you so she’s hiding in some stupid Star!” Ariana spat but here expression changed when she turned to me. “You look just like her.”

“Same eyes, red hair, boney figure!” she gushed. Ariana wrapped her arms around but they just passed through my body.

“Uh . . . thank you,” I hesitated.

“How are you, Annabelle?” Grayson asked.

my mind scolded and I felt compelled to do so.

“I’m fine,” I didn’t ask them how they were considering they were spirits of the dead.

“Wait . . .” I thought. “You said your name was Ariana Hydrus. That’s the name of the capital city of Stellaregno. how?”

“Oh,” she scratched her head, thinking. “My birth name is Ariana Hydrus but after marriage I became half Ophiuchus.”

“Answer the child’s question!” Grayson nudged her.

“Yes, my parents were close friends with the Hydras.” she explained, hesitating as if she wasn’t sure. Probably an old person thing. “Jaxon Hydra was my cousin so he named the capital city after our Constellation.”

My mouth fell open. I glanced at her wrists, eager to get a glimpse of her Signs.

“Don’t be so surprised,” Grandpa warned.

“Haven’t you learned the family tree?” Grandma said.

“Uh....was I supposed to?” I gulped.

“Well, you better,” Grandpa Grayson said.

“Shouldn’t you be in the Hydrus garden?” I wondered.

“I split my time between the two,” Grandma said.

“Now, you get going and take care,” Grandma and Grandpa waved goodbye.

“Bye, Annabelle!” they chorused.

“Bye, Grandpa and Grandma!” I cheered which made them blush. They vanished in a white light.

I couldn’t help but smile. I wish I had more time with them. There were so many questions I wanted to ask. This has been a very weird very emotional day.

I walked all the way to the first garden. Amara was standing outside, a ball in her hand.

“Did you find it?” she asked with a smile.

“Both of them done,” I said. She pocketed her stone which was smooth and glassy and a bit too small, the stone clicked against something and I realized she had gotten more than one.

“I’ll go find Hellen and Alfred.” I sauntered off. I could hear the sound of muffled voices. Then two figures came into sight.

“Annabelle!” Hellen exclaimed. She looked nervous and thrilled. She was smiling so much it looked creepy.

“Did you find your stones?” Alfred asked.

“Yes, both of them.” I patted my pocket for proof. “Can we go now?”

“No, we’re going to take you even further into it,” she squealed.

“You don’t just come to Celestial Gardens and leave in a second,” Alfred told, as if he was horrified.

We called Amara and walked through the maze of Gardens, careful not to accidentally step into one that wasn’t our own since that’s trespassing and punishable. It took forever to get to the end of all the Gardens.

“Wow!” Amara exclaimed, staring at the crystal like rocks which were large enough to sit on. There was a stream of water flowing between them, I wasn’t sure where but Hellen said no one had been able to figure out where the water comes from. Pink and orange Stargazer Lilies bloomed everywhere, the place was concealed by tall trees and bushes, fruit growing from their branches.

“Are these Star Stones?” I asked, as me and Amara sat on top of the large rock, it was slippery and when the Starlight hit, it glowed.

“No, they’re just Star Stones which got bounded with an ordinary rock and created that,” Hellen answered.

“So, it can’t really harm us, then?” Amara wondered. Hellen shook her head but Alfred shrugged. We had a light snack,l drank some water and Stargazed. Hellen sat on a rock and prayed, though I couldn’t see her Constellations shining above. Alfred ate in a tree. Amara decided to pray as well. I felt obligated to do the same and I did. Virgo and Ophiuchus shining on me. When Amara was done I noticed how she used both of her Constellations as well. Mostly she went with Aries since Apus wasn’t really her strong side.

“You used Apus.” I smiled.

“Yeah, well, I felt bad about ignoring it all this time.” She shrugged. The water intensified, creating a faster stream, splashing us.

“I remember reading about this place,” Amara said. “It’s huge! It takes days for someone to find the edge of it.”

“It’s a part of Celestial Gardens?” Amara nodded confirmation.

“It’s just a forest attached to all the Gardens,” Hellen added. She looked fresh, like she had a good night’s sleep. Alfred jumped out of the tree and gathered up our things.

“Make whatever wish you want here,” Alfred whispered. “It’s most likely to come true.”

“I already prayed,” I told, though I wished I could stay here longer. When we started to hike back, I started to mourn the loss of peace and quiet. Not to mention the random pangs of energy I was getting.

We walked back to the van. Amara Stargazed on the way, grinning at her stone. Alfred and Hellen were mumbling to each other. I only heard one sentence from their discussion: “No, you tell her!”

“What are you guys fighting about?” Amara stole the words right from my mouth.

Alfred and Hellen stopped talking. “Amara, could you please give us three a minute alone?” Hellen asked in a sweet yet scared tone.

“Alright.” I could tell Amara was afraid to go alone but it’s not like she could protest.

“Annabelle, we need to talk.” Alfred said.

“Am I in trouble?” I teased.

“No,” Hellen answered.

They both hesitated, scratching their heads and mumbling. “Are you two okay?” I asked, irritable.

Alfred sighed. “Well, we have some news.” he started. “For a long time, I’ve thought about bringing you to Celestial Gardens. You may already know the name by now. That Star Spirit is helpful.”

“You know her?” I asked, shocked.

“Of course I do, every Virgo does.” he continued. “You are the only real family I have left. Your father and grandmother are long gone, for both of us. Maybe, if we add a new person to our small family.”

“I...I don’t...don’t understand?” I stammered.

“He means me,” Hellen blurted.

I knitted my eyebrows and soon the pieces joined.

“Woah!” I exclaimed. “You mean...you’re telling me that....wait...you too?”

They tried to smile through their anxious expressions. “Oh, wasn’t it obvious?” Hellen joked.

“This is....” I trialed off. “I don’t know how to feel about this.”

“Joyful? Excited?” Hellen suggested.

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“It’s just a small ceremony, exchanging our Signs.” Alfred explained. “We’ll do it in Crimsyn State with a small group of friends. Hellen and I were thinking maybe you could help out with the planning.”

I grinned. “I’d love to.”

“Thank you, Annabelle.” Hellen looked like she wanted to hug me. I embraced both of them, one hand around each. I truly did feel happy for them. The only thing I found unbelievable was that Hellen was going to be my grandmother. And we would have a brand new Virgo.

“I’m going to start calling you Gramps now.” I teased.

“Yeah, right.” Alfred said.

“Yes, I will.” I insisted. “After all, you are my grandfather.”

We raced back to the van. Amara was sitting on the ground, Stargazing. “Why are you so happy?” she asked.

I looked at Alfred and Hellen behind me. “Tell you later,” I promised.

We got in the van. Alfred sat at the driver’s seat.

“Hey, can I drive?” I asked with a smile.

“No!” all three of them said simultaneously.

“Please?” I begged. “Granny and Dad never let me drive. I’ve never even taken a driving class before.”

“All the more reason you shouldn’t drive this van,” Amara said.

“Thanks for the help.” I pouted.

“And Annabelle?” Alfred called.

“Yes?”

“You have a new grandmother now.” He smiled.

“Belle, what does he mean?” Amara asked curiously.

I whispered her an explanation. She bounced in her seat. “I’m so happy for you,” she said in a low voice.

“Yeah....we can hear you two.” Alfred said.

“Sorry!” Amara and I said.

“Oh, by the way,” I remembered. “I met my other grandparents in Celestial Gardens.”

Hellen tensed up, for some reason. I ignored that and continued.

“How?” Amara demanded. Hellen turned to face me. I knew Alfred was curious too. I left out the part about my Grandma being Hydrus. That might be confusing.

We were outside the barrier of Crimsyn State. It had a glassy texture and it rippled everytime I knocked on it. “They’re opening it,” Amara warned. I stepped back and got back in the van. I had to show my Ophiuchus Sign to the person standing on the other side as proof that it was really us.

Alfred drove us inside. “Feels good to be back!” I cheered.

“You seem extra festive.” Tristan embraced me. He was still tired from opening and closing the barrier.

“What is it?” Lewis asked.

“I’ll explain later.” I sighed. Amara nudged me.

Alfred and Hellen unloaded the van and parked it in the garage. We ate lunch in the cafeteria, everyone sat at one big table. Lyra was nowhere to be found. According to Tristan she wasn’t playing Lyra today. Phoenix and Raelynn along with Nathan and Anthony joined us. We invited Hellen and Alfred. They even announced their engagement. We drank sour orange juice to celebrate.

“This has been a great day,” I said to Amara as we walked to the girls’ room.

“It was fun,” she agreed.

“So, you’re going to be a bride’s maid?” Raelynn wrapped her arm around me.

“I guess . . .” I hesitated.

“Question: are we allowed to wear black at the wedding?” Phoenix asked which made us all laugh.

I unpacked, showered and changed out of Lyra’s clothes. I put on leggings and an oversized grey sweater. I found some clothes for Amara. I tossed Lyra her hoodies.

“These are not mine,” she said.

“Yes, they are.” Amara reminded.

Lyra . . . or Lyla gagged and threw them on the floor. I put them in the lost and found basket.

“That’s going to make her mad.” Amara warned.

“Who?” I asked. “Lyra or Lyla?”

“This is confusing.” Amara groaned.

I fidgeted with my Star Stones. The Ophiuchus one still had that little thread like energy inside it. It had grown in size, it was thicker than a piece of thread. I kept it in my pillowcase, the letter from my mother was crumpled in there as well. I’d forgotten about that, I still didn’t know when to open it.