The Secret of Moonacre 2: The Shrouding Darkness

Chapter 8: The Black Pearl

Maria woke up in her own bed. She had moved there last night after a few days of staying in Robin’s room. She got dressed in a light blue dress and ate her biscuits and drank her milk. She then went to Robin’s room, and knocked on the door. It was well past sun-up. Soft footfalls sounded within the room a moment before the door opened. Robin stood there. He was back in his normal clothing and his precious hat. He looked down at Maria and smiled.

“Morning Bird-boy.” Maria greeted with a smirk. “How you feeling today?” Maria asked. Robin took off his hat to reveal a fast-healing scar.

“I feel fine, and Dr. Benjamin gave me the ok for the bandage to come off.” Robin replied, placing his hat back on.

“Mine too.” Maria said, gesturing to a faint scar over one eye. Her finger was still bandaged though.

“We should go riding today.” Maria said. Robin swallowed hard, frowning for a moment. He then put on a weak smile.

“Ok.” He said. His eyes were still worried.

“We must stay in Moonacre valley though.” Maria added. “At the moment the forest is too dangerous.” Robin seemed to relax slightly and nodded.

“Great idea.” He said. Though he hated fearing the place he had been born and raised, he did.

“Do you think that’s what killed Periwinkle?” Maria asked suddenly. Robin shrugged.

“Could be.” He said. There was something in his voice. He was scared. Maria could tell and that made her scared.

Maria and Robin walked down the stairs but very abruptly Maria froze, eyes locking onto the mirror at the bottom of the steps. Her breath hitched then came in fast shallow gasps…Robin stood behind her, watching silently, and peering into the mirror, trying to see what she was, though to him all he saw was himself, standing behind a hyperventilating Princess…Maria saw so much more.

The first Moon Princess stood in the mirror. She frowned at Maria and then vanished. The image of another young woman replaced hers. She was doing something to a normal pearl. She spoke strange words.

‘Talcam, darkaria, moshias, nobella noid, shantillia, vend!’ The woman said.

The pearl turned black and a thick mist-like darkness burst from it. It forcefully hit the woman and she collapsed to the floor, dead.

Maria instinctively knew the entire story. It was as if it was being told in her head. The story to Maria was clear and absolutely terrifying.

The woman in the vision was the fourth Moon Princess. She was growing tired of searching for the pearls and her time was running out. So she was trying to create a new one with her magic. But she accidentally created a great evil and it was hidden out in the forest. That’s what had hurt her and Robin. A black pearl, filled with darkness, no longer dormant as it had been for years.