Chapter 130 The Mystery of the Locket

(Amelie POV)

The spear was intended to kill the dark forces that were not of this planet. However, there was something here, hidden in plain sight, intended to destroy those that were. It took me many years of research, searching for that one thing. I was given many clues during my search, however today, it all made sense.

"Fly me to the Ulrich Mansion of the Dark Moon Pack. There is something I have to pick up first," I told the helicopter pilot. He nodded his head, obeying my order.

During the Autumn Equinox, the Moon Goddess showed herself to me in a dream, wearing the locket with the crescent moon and star symbol. It was a strange dream for the Moon Goddess kept still, not uttering one single word. I did notice the locket sparkling in the center of her bosom, but I did not understand the message she wanted to impart. Ugh. I wanted to hit myself in the head for not realizing this sooner. The locket was the message. The locket held the answers to the destruction of the Great Shadow of Ula.

The ring of Lupa was necessary for channeling the energy of the Priestess who wore it while the locket was more primary, more elemental in nature. It distinguished good from bad, brought light when it was dark, provided warmth when it was cold. I had seen pictures of the locket at various moments in history and in each photograph, the symbols were different. When Adella had the locket in her possession, the symbols were arranged quite differently from the time Camilla, Arthur's sister, wore it. It was quite remarkable. A small piece of jewelry which was able to communicate with its owner in her time of need.

While we were all still in France, I had asked Arthur to translate the symbols for me for only a living Lupa could decipher the symbols. At first, he peered at them not knowing what the symbols meant, throwing the pictures on my desk and telling me he wasn't the right "kind" of Lupa. I scolded him, telling him he was a Lupa whether he liked it or not, and gender, although an issue in the past, is not an issue in the present. He mumbled something under his breath and reluctantly picked up the photos from my desk. He uttered a short prayer to the Moon Goddess for clarity before studying the images once more. In his astonishment, the symbols changed to letters, forming words in the english language. Arthur went through the photos, "translating" each one for me, each image conveying a different message.

During the rise of the Great Shadow of Ula, Camilla wore the locket. According to stories of the elders who stood witness to the life of Camilla, the locket was her most prized possession. The elders presumed because she was a Priestess with very limited power, the locket somehow allowed her to bend the elements providing her the ability to grow a bountiful harvest. For several years, the Autumn Moonlight pack lived well, however, because of her desire to bear a child, Camilla went back to the Ula's, hoping for an answer to her prayers. The curse of the Shadow had set foot again in the territory of Autumn Moonlight and difficult times plagued the pack once more. Camilla, on the other hand, was not concerned with the harsh times her pack was experiencing, she was only concerned about her daughter, Victoria.

There was a photograph taken of the locket when it was still in Camilla's possession whose symbols bore the message "I, daughter of Lupa, bend the darkness to my will and shall bring forth light." Me, being slow on the uptake, did not consider this message to have any reference to the Shadow.

I had asked Maria what she knew about the Great Shadow for he was, once upon a time, her mentor.

"What can you tell me about the Great Shadow? I know he was once your mentor, Maria." I had found Maria at the bar of my hotel, alone, drinking scotch. When a woman drinks scotch to drown her sorrows, it usually means she needs a friend.

"What's there to say? He, like the rest of us, has had his fair share of pain and rejection." She mixed the ice in her glass with her fingers. "Honestly, why do we always have to fall in love with someone who can't love us back?" I glanced at her while a took a sip of my wine. I wondered who she was pertaining to this time.

"That is the mystery of love. It feels so good yet, it is, oh, so painful. The Great Shadow also fell in love? I had thought he was only focused on world domination."

"Oh yes, High Elder. He fell in love once. If I'm not mistaken, he fell in love with Camilla's mother. What's her name again? Starts with an M." She gazed into space thinking of the name.

"Matilda." After years of studying the family tree, I knew the Lupa bloodline well.

"That's the name, Matilda." Maria raises her glass at me. "The story is she went insane and killed herself. I could only assume, the Shadow had something to do with it, but who knows?" She shrugged her shoulders. "There was talk about some kind of abnormality she had. I actually don't know much about it." I looked around praying Arthur wasn't around.

"Anyway, the Shadow locked himself up with the Black Stone after Matilda passed. Made his first appearance during the time of Camilla." Maria motions for the bartender to fill her glass before she continued. "So, everyone knew that Camilla was a dud, especially the Shadow. Just like you said, he was focused on world domination. Well, he came out, called himself the Great Shadow and wrecked havoc at the Lupa Harvest Thanksgiving celebration thinking Camilla wouldn't be able to stop him. Well, he was mistaken." She laughed. "Camilla, while holding her locket, uttered some incantation and poof, a white light came out and the Great Shadow was reduced to this faint dust. After which, the Great Shadow went into hiding in the confines of the Black Shadow territory, draining the energy of pack members and regaining his power through the Black Stone." She swirled her ice cubes with her fingers again.

"As for Camilla, she wanted to get pregnant right away. She prayed to the Moon Goddess to bequeath her this one gift. The first time she went into heat, she didn't become pregnant and this made her disappointed at the Moon Goddess for not giving her what she had asked for." Maria frowned, not understanding her need to bear a child. "I don't know why she just couldn't wait, but that made her come crawling back to Black Shadow Territory to Mama Sirona, the resident faith healer. Dark times for Autumn Moonlight came after that. Dark times." She lifted her glass, drank all her scotch and made a face as the hot bitter liquid went down her throat. 

It was such a fascinating story. I told my bartender to give her a bottle of scotch and a few bottles of wine for me and I had some oysters and scallops served for us to share. I didn't want the night to end...I wanted her to tell me everything she knew.

Yet, a girl can only drink so much scotch. Maria passed out at the bar and I had Jacques carry her to her room. Well, I was able to get enough information from her to steer me to the right direction.

Hope had stopped using the locket presumably because she had thought she had no use for it. That locket was for her protection, given by the Moon Goddess, to destroy the darkness and bring forth light.

I know I should have called Dark Moon Territory before arriving, but it was an emergency, and if I was correct and the locket mysteriously goes missing, it might be the end of Hope.

Diane and Howard were surprised that I had landed in Dark Moon and told me Hope was at the hospital as I set foot on their property.

"High Elder, welcome. It is nice to see you again. If you are here to see Hope, I'm afraid she is at the hospital with Alexander," Diane said.

"Yes, I know. I received a call from Doctor Frances informing me of Hope's condition.I am here on an official capacity." Howard raised his eyebrows to my last statement.

"How can we help you, High Elder?", Howard asked, knowing it was urgent.

"Hope has a locket which she rarely uses now. It bears the symbol of the Crescent Moon with a star at its end. Do you know where it is hidden? I need to bring it with me before I go to the hospital." I saw Diane narrow her eyes thinking the last time she saw Hope wear the necklace.

"I actually can't remember the last time she wore it, but I may know where she has placed it for safe keeping. Come, High Elder. I will show you to their room." Diane reaches for my arm to guide me inside their mansion. I silently pray that it is here, if not I would have to go to Crescent Moon to see if it is there.

Diane took me to the second floor of their mansion and allowed me entry into Alexander and Hope's room. She then guides me into their closet towards a drawer where Hope's valuables were kept. I opened the drawer, and there lay the locket sparkling. Diane gasped, seeing the locket glow. It felt a Lupa was in dire need.

I heave a sigh of relief seeing the locket. I pick it up and place it a small velvet box I had brought with me in my purse. I thanked Diane and bade them goodbye to hurry off to the hospital. Howard already had a car for me waiting, telling me it will be difficult to land in town. I thanked them, got into the car and saw Mark at the driver's seat.

"Mark, drive as fast as you can to the hospital. We haven't a moment to lose. Hope needs us."

"Sure thing, High Elder. Buckle up. I'll get us there in a jiffy." Mark winked at me.

I put on my seatbelt and lean back.

I'm coming, Great Shadow of Ula.