Cult of The Moon (Completed)

Chapter 1

     •One Year Ago•
White hot flames danced along her fingertips but all Aaliyah felt was tiny pricks. She turned her palm upwards facing the ceiling watching the fire race up her body engulfing her arm. But, still, she felt no pain.

"Aaliyah! What do you think you are doing? You're going to set the house on fire!" Aaliyah's mom screamed from the doorway to her room. Aaliyah looked up at her mom, and the flames stopped advancing as her mom flipped on the lights. Her mind flashes through a million excuses, but magic was forbidden at her house. But she couldn't help it. Her powers called her and she couldn't just ignore them as her mom wanted her too.

"Mom, I was just... I..." she trailed off.

"What were you thinking!" Her mom placed her hand on her forehead and sighed. Aaliyah quickly extinguished the ghostly flames.

"I'm an adult now." She began, she knew that she had to tread lightly but she was too impatient for formality.

"I'm graduated from high school and I've done everything you've asked from the time it started. Six years. But it's time I made my own rules." She met her mother's eyes and instantly regretted the words. She could see the tears forming in her mom's eyes but her decision was already made and there was no going back now.

"I'm moving in with Alex and I'm going to get a job then, well I don't know but I'll figure it out."

"You can't move in with your best friend! It's idiotic!" Her mother responded.

"Well, it's not like you're giving me much of an option!" Aaliyah hissed. Her mother looked like she was going to say something but she just exhaled loudly instead.

"There is somewhere.." her mother half sighed.

"A place with people like us. Where you should have grown up." Aaliyah stared at her mom almost in shock. Her mom had always said that she was the only one, that no one else had powers like they had. That's why that had to hide them and not use them. But it was a lie. It was all a lie.

"Pack your things, we'll leave in an hour," her mom said as she backed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Aaliyah instantly jumped off her bed and started to pack.

First, she grabbed her favorite shirts and threw them into a suitcase. Then whatever else she felt like she couldn't live without. A photo of her and Alex, a turtle necklace her mom gave her when she was 6, her Yuri!!! on Ice poster, headphones, phone charger, and most importantly all 4 books in the Inheritance Cycle. She finished the packing with a few random things like toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrush, etc.

When Aaliyah had thrown everything in her suitcase; she had to sit on it to zip it closed. She wheeled it to the door and took a look around her bedroom. The messy space comforted her, but she could still feel the sinking pit in her stomach that told her that she was never going to see this place again. Aaliyah shook her head to clear the feeling and walked out the front door to already running car. She threw her suitcase in the pack of her red jeep and climbed in the passenger's seat. Her mom glanced over at her from the driver's seat as she pulled away from the curb.

"How did dad take the news?"

"He was upset but knew that this day would eventually come." Her Mom softly answered. Wonderful. Everyone's in on the secret but me. She looked out the window as the landscape blurred from the valley she knew into mountains with soaring peaks.

"Mom, why didn't I grow up there if I was supposed to?" Aaliyah asked, scooping her short blond hair into a ponytail.

"It's a long story, but seeing as we have time I'll tell it to you. It all began with my induction ceremony. I was supposed to go to town pick up a few things and come back immediately. But instead I met your father and he asked me to have lunch with him. I agreed and by nightfall, I knew that I had given my heart to him. A few years later I wanted to have a child so I started the natural process of going to the town, getting pregnant and returning. Except I didn't return. I went to the herbal store where your father worked and told him that I wanted to run away with him. He took all the money he had and we moved out to the valley." Her mom took a deep breath and continued.

"We tried to live a normal life, except I knew that one day you would grow into your powers. I prayed that you would be born without them but I knew that my luck wouldn't hold. I was selfish. I kept you with me instead of immediately sending you to the compound. I just couldn't do it. I loved you too much. I don't know if She'll accept you but, I can try." Her mom looked over.

"Aaliyah I'm really sorry." Her Mom tried to apologize.

They finished the rest of the three-hour ride in silence. Mostly because Aaliyah fell asleep, but they probably wouldn't have talked even if she had bees awake. The car stopping woke Aaliyah up. She glanced at the clock. 11:35 pm. Her mom opened her door and grabbed Aaliyah's suitcase from the trunk. That's when Aaliyah noticed that her mom hadn't brought a suitcase. She got out and walked over to her mom.

"You're not staying" Aaliyah stated, more of an observation than a question.

"I'm sorry darling, it's better this way. But there is something I want you to have." Her mom pulled a gold ribbon from her pocket. It shimmered as her mom handed it to her and felt like silk.

"Don't let anyone know that you have this. Now go" Her mom pointed to a large dark wooden door. Aaliyah started to walk across the concrete, her eyes only seeing the lights by the door and the ground under her feet. The rest of the world was black. The roar of her mom's engine was all she could hear as she made the seemingly endless walk to the door. Her mom was long out of sight and earshot when she pulled on the large brass doorknobs. The door slid open and closed without a sound and the dark hallway that now stood in front of her.

"Hello?" Aaliyah called into the dark hall.

"Hello Darling." The smooth response echoed off the stone. A torch appeared out of the darkness illuminating the gray stone walls and the bearer. A tall, almost a full head taller than Aaliyah, dark brunette woman with very tan skin. Her amber eyes glared down at Aaliyah despite her sweet tone. Aaliyah brushed a piece of her blond locks behind her ear and took a deep breath.

"Um, I'm..." Aaliyah began.

"Aaliyah, yes I know. I'm Eden. Welcome to the compound." Eden's now curt tone surprised Aaliyah but she was tired and just wanted to sleep.

"Come on, I'll take you to your room." She lead Aaliyah through a maze of passageway, they were all decorated but Aaliyah was too tired to notice much. They arrived at a small oak door, with large double doors down the hall next to it.

"This is your room, mine is next door. So don't be loud. Anyway we would never usually give you this room but since is the only one available we'll have to deal with it. Goodnight." Eden walked down the hall into her room, the doors opening and closing with Eden lifting a finger. Aaliyah was to tired for magic so she pulled the door open and entered into her new room. It had a bed, desk, and nightstand. She guessed that the door on the right of the far wall led to the bathroom. She dropped her suitcase at the end of the bed and collapsed onto the bed. She pulled the covers over herself and almost instantly fell asleep.