Shadowbook

Chapter 20: Enter, the Shadows!

"My beloved is like... a young stag."

--Song of Songs 2:9

Astor met at the bottom of the grand staircase. "Why aren't you dressed yet?" Jasmine asked.

"I must keep my folds loose for now."

"Oh, that's right, you have that rite of passage thing. And you are going to ignore me all night..." Jasmine sighed."Why did you expect any different?" Astor said.

"That was harsh!" I said.

"Why do you guys hate each other?" Amaya asked.

"Oh, we do not hate each other! This is how we bond!" said Astor.

"Yeah, this is... our... thing," said Jasmine, struggling to find words.

Astor smirked. "The guests shall start arriving soon. We are still waiting for Orphe and Nyx's sisters."

I had completely forgotten about Patricia and Isabel. I really hoped they wouldn't tail me all night, but Astor seemed to have something in mind...

"It will be quite a ritual tonight," Jasmine agreed. "Are you excited to be the May Queen, Nyx?"

"Wait, what?"

"Surprise," said Astor with a grin. "You and I are going to symbolically portray the God and Goddess of life in the ritual tonight."

I stared at him in silence. "Uh... okay. What do I have to do?"

"Not much. You just have to walk next to me, and you shall be told what else to do."

I was bewildered. "Okay... yeah, fine... wow!"

"Hi, Alex!" It was Patricia. She was wearing a pink and black frilly dress (because it was Patricia, it had to have pink; because she was in Umbragard, it had to have black).

Isabel walked next to her, dressed in a tight black and crimson dress with a high collar. "I look like a vampiress!"

"We should have taken her here at Samhain," Astor muttered.

"I wish it was Samhain." It was Orphe, hiding in the dark as usual. "But oh, that's right, Astor will be the center of the ritual. Astor's a big boy now. All hail Astor Peas Shadowhawk."

Astor groaned.

Amaya giggled. "Peas? What d'you mean, peas?"

"It is no secret that my middle initials spell 'peas'," said Astor with a sigh. "Peregrine, Erebus, Adonis, Spyridon. I figured it out when I tried to sign my name, Astor P. E. A. S. Shadowhawk. I have never tried to do that again. Go ahead, laugh." I couldn't help but take the invitation! Peas! Whatever; I wouldn't give him a hard time about it if Orphe already did.

A man walked into the entrance hall. He looked relatively young, maybe middle-aged, but he had pure white hair. He had indigo cat eyes, and was wearing blue and black robes. He smiled warmly at me. "Lady Nyx, I presume?"

"Uh... yeah," I said.

"I am Spyridon, King of Shadows."

I blinked in surprise. The King of Shadows! He must be Astor's father! "Oh! Uh... yeah! Hi, uh... Your Majesty..."

The King laughed and winked at Astor. Astor also laughed. As the King walked away, he whispered, "That is my father. He is quite the diplomat, though I suppose I inherited my self-indulgence from him. Everybody calls him Spyro, when they are not calling him 'Your Majesty.' "