Lunar Enchantment

Unearthing Family Secrets

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Amber held up her hands in protest. "Before we go hunting some ever panther creatures, let's think about this really quick. We can't turn into anything. We're teenagers with nothing. What do we do if we find them?" she asked.

We all looked at one another, nobody could say anything because nobody had an answer. 

"Um, I don't know," I finally spoke up. "I didn't really think that far ahead."

Aiden scratched his head, a worried expression on his face. "Yeah, Amber's right. What's our plan here? We can't just charge into the forest blind."

Lauren chimed in, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Maybe we should just let the adults handle this?"

Amber nodded in agreement. "That's a good start. We should gather as much information as possible and then figure out our next steps."

"What are they going to be able to do?" I asked.

"They're the ones who can shift," Amber responded.

She had a point. I opened my mouth to say something back, but stopped. I had nothing to say. There was nothing to say.

"What if we can shift before we're 18?" I asked.

"Has that ever been done?" Lauren turned toward me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "No idea. I do have hundreds of years worth of documents to read."

"Well, sounds like you have a lot of work to do so don't let me hold you up," Amber said as she walked toward the door.

"Um, what? Why is all of the research falling on me?" I questioned.

"Those are your grandma's papers in her house. Not mine."

"Amber, come on. There is no way that Rory can go through all of this by herself?"

"Not my problem. I'm going home. Where I will be safe."

Aiden stood and looked at her for a long moment. "How do you know your home is safe? What if it's your parents who are Lunae?"

"Mine? Why mine?"

"You're mean," he said, sitting back down and grabbing a stack of papers.

Amber stood there looking like she was punched in the gut.

"I'm mean?" she asked softly.

"You didn't know?" I asked, looking up at her.

She shook her head.

"How could you not know? You're super mean."

She chewed her bottom lip and had a distant and far off look. "Is that why nobody sits with me anywhere?"

"What are you talking about?" Lauren asked next. "People always sit with you."

"I tell them to."

"Listen, there is no time for an existential crisis right now. We can discuss how Amber can be a better person later, right now can we figure out to stop another attack?"

She nodded her head and walked back over to us. "Should...um, should we look through other trunks?"

"That's a great idea," I told her. 

"Okay. I'll start on those ones then."

She went for the one that had my name on it and tried opening it. She grunted and groaned but the lid just would not budge.

"So, this one is locked. Is there a key?" 

"I haven't found one for that one yet."

"Hmm." She bent down to look at it closer and pulled a bobby pin from her hair. 

She twisted it a bit and tried to get a closer look but the dimly lit attic made it near impossible for to actually see. 

"Can someone hold up a light?"

I grabbed my cellphone and turned on the flashlight, standing off to the side while illuminating the lock. Amber looked over her shoulder at us with a hopeful glance. Putting the bobby pin into the keyhole, she moved it around, listening.

I think we were all straining to listen. For what? I'm not sure. A click perhaps? Would it be like the movies where the clasp falls dramatically?

She stopped suddenly and looked at us again, eyes wide.

"I...I think that worked!"

"What? No way!" Lauren shouted, standing quickly.

Amber pulled the clasp away from the lid and pushed it up. 

"Anything in there?" Aiden tried to peer over everyone.

"Um, yeah. But I don't think it'll be of much use."

Inside the trunk, which was lined with deep blue velvet, were a few pieces of paper, an old rolled up scroll, and a black box.

I picked up the first piece of paper, my birth certificate. Only, not the one that I was familiar with. This one was a little different. My species wasn't listed as human, it was listed as shapeshifter and the panther section was check marked.

The rolled up scroll was another family tree, but this one was a little different. This one seemed a bit more formal. At the top it had King and Queen listed.

I handed it off to Aiden as I picked up the black box that was under everything. Lifting the lid I saw a  delicate, silver diadem adorned with moonstones and sapphires. It sparkled with an otherworldly luminescence.

"What is all of this?" I mumbled to myself.

Beside the diadem lay an ornate locket, its surface etched with celestial patterns and engraved with the my family's crest. I opened it, revealing a miniature portrait of regal figures I didn't recognize, their eyes hauntingly familiar. A lump formed in my throat as I began to understand the significance of the locket.

Deep within the trunk, my fingers brushed against the cool metal of a moon-themed dagger. Its hilt was adorned with lunar motifs, and I couldn't help but feel an inexplicable connection to this weapon.

"Rory, you've never seen this stuff before?"

I shook my head staring at the diadem and dagger. "I'm so confused."

Aiden handed the parchment back to me. "Okay, so you see this here?"

I nodded my head. 

"This is a more refined family tree of the ones we found in the other trunk. This is following along one line. The direct, first born descendants of these two. King Reginald and Queen Margaret. Each of these people are the first born sons and daughters all the way down to you."

"Okay?"

"Rory, do you know what that means? Or at least what I think that means?"

I shook my head while staring up at him.

"I think it means that you're like our princess or something? And your grandmother," he pointed to her name a few spaces above mine, "Is our queen."

"What? She's a princess?" Amber scoffed.

"Amber," Lauren said sternly.

"Right. Be nice. Not mean," she  mumbled.

"What do I do? I don't know what to do with this information," I said. 

"Well, I don't know either. I think you need to have a serous conversation with your grandma because this is heavy."

"Yeah it is."

"What's with the knife?" Lauren asked, taking it from me. "It's really pretty."

"And the crown!" Amber said, snatching it from my hands and putting it on her head. "Looks good on me."

"I'm pretty sure that's Rory's." Aiden took it back off her head and put it in the trunk.

"Doesn't mean I can't look at it." She pouted.

"It's okay," I whispered. "She can look."

"Rory! Are you here?" 

We all turned at the familiar sound of my grandmother's voice.

"Shit," I yelped. "We have to get this all put away and into my room before she gets up stairs!"