Preface

Blue Ridge Mountains, 2015

Ten year old Cambria Adoms stood by the garden watching the sprinkler Grandma Gemma had her turn on to water the garden, her blue-green eyes twinkling. Grandma Gemma had braided Cambria’s long chestnut hair to keep the weeds and tangles out of it. She wore a pair of her father’s bib overalls from when he was about her age, a red t-shirt, and blue high top tennis shoes. 

The green grass was soft enough to nap on, which she did quite often and Cambria loved the way the mountains and forest seemed to surround the farm, making it seem like a hidden world of its own. The wild flowers scent perfumed the air which was fresh and clean compared to the city where Cambria had lived with her parents before the tragic accident. She glanced at the house where Grandma Gemma was baking bread and pies. To Cambria it was her palace, the center of her farm kingdom. 

The farm had several outbuildings. The Old red barn that needed work on the roof and a paint job, The woodshed where wood was kept years ago before the electric heater was installed. Now it was used to house Grandpa’s tractor and other equipment. A tool shed for any tools needed for the garden Grandma kept, and a little playhouse grandpa had built for Cambria. Her grandparents also kept two cows, several pigs, chickens, and a dog. 

It was summer now and the days were hot and muggy as always in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not that Cambria minded, she lounged in the shade drinking sweet tea when not occupied with the farm chores.

Cambria loved the farm, her parents brought her here every summer to visit while they traveled for their jobs. Her mother was an event planner for large companies, and her father ran a security firm that often worked for the same large companies. Joe and Grace Adoms were the consummate professionals in each of their lines of work. That was until the car accident that took them away from Cambria. Now she lives with her Grandmother and Grandfather on the farm. 

 The police suspected foul play because it appeared the brake lines had been cut, but there was no other evidence to suggest a motive or a suspect. Cambria had been five at the time. Her only other relative was her Father’s Sister, Aunt Delila. A greedier person was never known. Anything she could get her hands on to sell she would and did. Aunt Delila wanted to live just like the jet setters, rich folk who could travel and live the high life. Fancy homes, cars, clothes, and private jets, that’s what she wanted. In her opinion farm life was for the pigs not her. 

So when she came by that day while Cambria was watering the garden and saw her wearing the beautiful blue stone, Grandma Gemma called the Soul Stone, Aunt Delila was angry, very angry. Cambria could hear the argument going on in the house.

“Ma! She’s a child for Godsakes. She could lose it and it’s worth a fortune.  If you had listened to me and sold it in the first place you could have been out of debt and living easy. But, noo! You and Pa just have to do everything the hard way.” Aunt Delila said loud enough Cambria winced. 

“Delila, Our family was entrusted with that necklace for at least two decades by the council. It has long been a tradition since its creation to pass it down the bloodlines of the entrusted family. The new trustee of that necklace is always chosen when the young reach ten years of age. The last time a family was entrusted they went against the council’s decision of who was to care for it next and entrusted it to another member of their family and as we all know he started the Great War that nearly destroyed the world as we know it and the necklace too.” Grandma Gemma said her voice was soft but firm.

That was the thing about Grandma Gemma, No matter what she never raised her voice, not even when angry instead it stayed soft. When she  was angry you knew because she spoke firmly and often punctuated the words with clicks of her teeth, which she was doing now.

Cambria turned toward the blue one story farm house at the next words from Aunt Delila. “Just you wait and see I’ll get that necklace. It is my inheritance not that orphaned brat’s. My brother was useless and so is she. He didn’t behave as a proper Celestial anyhow. Marrying a mortal and scraping away at a mortal desk job. If that necklace was used right Celestials could rule the world, not like we live now, in obscurity as peasants.”

The front screen door slammed loudly in the sudden quiet and then Aunt Delila’s car started up and took off down the road throwing rocks everywhere as she flew down the dirt road. Cambria turned back and focused on her gifts. She was a water element.  Scene’s of her life formed out of water. Her parents. The three of them at a water park. Days at the farm. Even the day she came to live here with her grandparents. They danced around her like watery puppets. Then her father’s words formed, the ones he told her when she was sad.

“Don’t cry, be strong for you are special in the world.  Your life will be filled with adventure and love. You will see. Remember that even if you cannot see us we are with you and will be with you all your days.”

She smiled at those words. Suddenly they dropped on to the garden with a splash causing her to giggle. “Cambria!” Grandma Gemma called. Cambria turned and ran toward the house then turned to follow Grandma Gemma to the old red barn to help with the animals. Grandpa would be back from the fields soon.

She dashed into the barn behind her grandmother. It needed work but it was still functional at least. Cambria scooped up the slop bucket from her Grandmother and quickly filled the pigs’ trough. “There you are. I thought you were going to waste the day away with your water gifts, girl.” Grandma Gemma said affectionately as she helped Gemma with hay for the two cows. 

“Listen carefully. Your Aunt wasn’t born with the gifts you have. Your father was and so were your grandfather and I. She was not and she has resented the rest of the family because of it. She grew up dreaming of prince charming and riches galore because she envied those who had money and everything they could ever want. This made her greedy. She doesn’t understand the Celestial world the way we do and she doesn’t really care, it isn’t her world. She will stop at nothing to try and get that necklace so she can sell it.” Grandma Gemma looked so serious that Cambria paid attention.

“You cannot let her have it. She can have the farm, all the animals and everything that goes with it, but not that. Your grandfather and I have made that clear in the will. We know though that she will contest it. You must be strong. Can you do that for me? Be strong?” she paused, tucking her gray hair behind her ear, hazel eyes earnest.  When Cambria nodded she continued, “The council has chosen you to guard the stone. That is your responsibility. Never take it off or give it to anyone else. Above all else you must really study hard both in school and in the Celestial book. Learn your abilities well. They will protect you. Your grandfather and I are no longer young as we once were and will not always be here to protect you. You must learn to stand tall and be strong. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Grandma Gemma” Cambria nodded and they began to milk the Cows. Little did young Cambria know that she’d lose both her Grandparents just five years later in a fire that destroyed the house and barn along with much of the outbuildings.  

Blue Ridge Mountains, 2023

Darron parked his ice blue pickup truck next to a bike he recognized at Chets. What the hell is he doing here? Darron thought as he got out of the pickup and slammed the door.  Adrian had said nothing about Chet being at the meeting. 

Why the elder wanted them both here, Darron did not know but he knew that Chet was a ticking time bomb. He could go berserk at any time. It took very little to set him off and usually the collateral damage was tremendous. It was why all the Celestial bounty hunters often referred to their coworker as a Berserker.  The man had a temper. 

Even though it was only nine am, the heat and humidity of the Georgia summer was becoming prevalent. It was going to be another scorcher. Darron wiped the back of his neck with a handkerchief and started up the well worn path to the cabin owned by the Council Elder.

The old hand built log cabin was a half mile down the path in an isolated clearing one could only reach on foot.  The trees lined the path, their branches arching over it creating a tunnel that gave the feeling of being guided to another time and place. Flowers, plants and underbrush also lined the path perfuming the air and adding to the wild feel of another world. As he walked, Darron made sure to avoid Georgia’s more unsavory inhabitants like fire ants, bears, and the plethora of venomous snakes, to name a few. 

Darron found he appreciated the forest because the trees at least somewhat shielded everything below from the relentless Georgia sun. It was truly relentless  on a typical Georgia summer day; it could reach upwards of a hundred in the sun, sometimes even three digit temperatures. Darron paused long enough to take a swig of water from the canteen he carried and moved on. Every so often he swatted at another pest. Gnats. They were annoying, especially like in many places in the US, they bit.  

He hurried along the path. Even though it was still early in the day, Darron did not want to be out here in the evening. Georgia had one pest that he abhorred more than anything else. Mosquitoes. They were prevalent all over but for some reason they were huge in Georgia. So big in fact many residents joked about saddling them to ride.

They swarmed anything with blood to feed on and people were no exception. Darron hated the things so he avoided them like the plague or carried repellent by the case.

In minutes the trees thinned out into a clearing where the 200 year old log cabin stood. It was made solely of logs gathered from the surrounding forest. It wasn’t large by any means, a one level, one room cabin. A thousand feet to the right up in the trees was an outhouse and eight hundred feet off the left side of the house was a spring that Celestial Elder Adrian Fallon used for water. 

The tall willowy elder sat in a rocking chair on his front porch. Next to him was Chet. Both were sipping what Darron assumed might be white lightning judging from the bottle sitting on the porch next to the elder. The elder wore denim jeans, t-shirt and work boots. Chet on the other hand was dressed much like a biker, including the biker boots. His tattoos made him look very intimidating along with his white blond hair and ice blue eyes.

Adrian leaned forward, scooped up the bottle and offered it to Darron, his green eyes assessing Darron’s reaction as a strand of his gray hair flopped onto his forehead in reaction to his movements. Darron shook his head while raising the canteen to his lips.

“Get a little lost?” Chet said with a sneer that garnered a glare from the elder.  Darron didn’t answer. He was here at the Elders insistence and wasn’t going to insult him by fighting with Chet.  The Elder’s lips tilted into a slight smile and he nodded to Darron.

“You could learn a thing or two from Darron, Chet. Such as when to pick a fight.” the Elder said quietly, in that way he had,  not being judgemental, just observing the facts.

Chet snorted in response, his large muscle bound body making the chair creak as he leaned forward, ice blue eyes narrowed at the Elder. “So what are we here for, old man?” he growled clearly not liking what the elder had said. It was clear Chet was spoiling for a fight.

The elder simply shook his head at Chet then leaned forward himself. “There is a rumor about the Soul Stone. I trust you both are familiar with the legend?”  he said, prompting both men to meet his gaze in surprise.

“The stone rumored to hold the soul of the oldest and most powerful Celestial ever known?!” Darron murmured curiously. The Elder nodded.

“According to my sources, the stone is in the care of a young Celestial named Cambria Adoms. She is a senior in high school. She lives in a small town about thirty miles or so from here.  The only other thing we know is that her only living relative is an Aunt who is terribly greedy and will stop at nothing to get her hands on the stone so she can sell it. We all know what could happen if the stone got into the wrong hands.” Adrian explained.

“So what does this have to do with us?” Chet asked, obviously not impressed. 

The Elder glared at him like a father who was dealing with an impetuous child. “I need you to find this young woman and the stone. Bring them to me so we can see if she is a worthy guardian. I will pay five hundred dollars to which one of you successfully completes the mission. You will each be given two hundred and fifty dollars before you leave today for expenses.” He said as he watched the two men’s expressions.

Chet grinned deviously, “Easy money.”

Darron took a little longer to decide. “If I do this I do this by my terms. If I don’t like any instructions you give me I reserve the right to back out. I’ll not be party to harming the girl.” He said firmly.

“Fair enough.'' The elder agreed then tossed both men a packet. Inside the packet they received was a picture and the money. “Time is of the essence gentlemen. We all know how dangerous the Soul Stone is in the wrong hands. History cannot be allowed to repeat itself. Good luck.”  Then he returned to whittling a block of wood effectively dismissing them. 

Chet walked down the porch steps and brushed past Darron. He disappeared down the path. Darron turned and headed back the way he came unsure what to think about the turn of events. Apparently he and Chet had been set up to compete in finding the girl. 

Once the two men had disappeared down the path, Adrian smiled to himself. “It won’t be long now love. Soon we will have the vengeance we deserve. They will pay. All of them, that town and all its people.“ He murmured under his breath.