Del Ryder and the Crystal Seed: Del Ryder, #1

By Matthew Brough

Darkness is falling across mystic Azdia. Soon, all of life will stop glowing with light. Soon, the trees will no longer spring to life. Even the mighty feldroes will cease to roam the forests. Already, many lumens, the shape-shifting caretakers of Azdia, have lost faith in their provider and protector, the mysterious Mr. Thicket. The only hope for the creatures of Azdia are the awaited chosen ones sent from another world called Earth. 

Del Ryder and her three best friends stumble through the portal into Azdia. There they meet Crimson, a lumen full of hope, who believes Del and her friends are the ones they have been waiting for. Unwilling to accept their destiny, the children still manage to enlist Crimson's help in what becomes a fight for their own survival. Held hostage by living trees, battered by storms, and caught in a stampede of feldroes, the darkness of Azdia blocks them at every stage of their adventure. But Del and her friends persevere, following the clues of a cryptic riddle, in the hope that it leads them home. 

Del Ryder and the Crystal Seed is the first novel in the Del Ryder series and the Matthew David Brough's debut novel. It is an adventurous ride, with fast-paced action, and colorful characters. Ideal for boys and girls, and enjoyed by adults as well, we follow Del as she grapples not only with being in a strange and fantastic world, but also with whether she can trust anyone and ultimately know what it means to be loved. 

Read the book that has been called "a well crafted fantasy reminiscent of Madeleine L'Engle and C.S. Lewis"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matthew Brough
• Release date: Jun 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9780994781307

Book preview

1

THE GLASS AND THE TOMBSTONE

The old priest came wandering through the cemetery. His appearance was always their signal to break off whatever game they were playing in the churchyard and scatter.

Del Ryder went one way, Phil, Guy, and Sam, the other. Del jumped a fence, and ran alongside the hedge on the south side of the cemetery. Twenty seconds of running and she knew that she should have followed Phil like the others had. The priest must have cut across the cemetery, back towards the church, because he was right in line with where Del was headed.

As the priest’s head turned in Del’s direction she dove toward the hedge. She spied a sparse section that none of them had ever noticed before, and sure enough, there was an opening just large enough for her to fit through. Del crawled through the opening and found that she didn’t come out on the other side of the hedge. Rather, she was inside it, in the perfect hiding spot.

She crawled as far as she could before hitting a wall of branches and then she stayed as still as she could. She felt a cold smooth gravestone beneath her. Del wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being on top of it, but she dared not move right away, since she did not know the exact location of the priest. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light under the hedge, she read an old inscription on the stone. At the top was the word BLYTHE and underneath it 1875—1889. Del knew in less than a second that whoever Blythe was, he had died at age fourteen. If she wasn’t creeped out enough lying on top of someone’s grave, now it was worse. He was a kid like her when he died, just three years her senior.

She looked around and realized that although the opening into the hedge was small, inside it was spacious, almost as if some woodland creature had made its home there.

She got up on her knees and listened for footsteps. She couldn’t hear anything. Maybe the priest had moved on. Del thought about leaving to go find her friends. Most likely they were laying low in one of their usual spots.

This is way better than anywhere they usually hide, Del thought. Not even Sam would find me here and Sam always finds the best hiding places.

As she edged forward a little, attempting to look through the thick branches, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed what looked like a small piece of bottle-green glass embedded in the ground beside Blythe’s stone. Del reached for the object with two fingers. As soon as she made contact with the glass, it flashed with a deep glowing light. She quickly pulled her hand away, shocked. The glow disappeared. Tentatively, Del brought her hand back over the glass. She touched it again, and the same deep flash of light appeared.

What was that? How could a piece of glass light up like that? Even without a piece of magic glass, Del would have wanted to show her friends this hiding spot. She was determined to find them and bring them back to the gravestone and the glass.

Crouching, she parted a few of the branches and looked out from her cover. There was no sign of the priest, so she crawled out from under the hedge and headed into the churchyard toward the place where the boys were most likely to have hidden.

Del approached the edge of a small wooded area of the churchyard where there sat an old rundown shed that she and her friends loved hiding in for their games. There were spy holes on every side, and one hole in the padlocked door that was large enough to squeeze through. The shed was full of rusty paint cans and other containers filled with chemicals and old, solidified substances that were once liquid. It was a wonder they didn’t make themselves sick from inhaling the fumes inside that place, and it was also a wonder the whole thing didn’t spontaneously go up in flames.

Phil? Guy? Del paused, listening. Sam?

Sunlight was fading fast as dusk approached. An eerie mist had rolled in, making it difficult to see much beyond the tree line behind the padlocked fire hazard. Everything was silent.

Maybe her friends couldn’t see her with all the weird fog. Maybe they had been caught by the priest.

Del crept closer to the shed and peered through one of the holes. Total darkness met her eyes.

Guys? Are you in there? she whispered. If you’re in there, this isn’t funny.

Her friends loved playing practical jokes on Del. They had gotten her so many times. She always played along, getting mad at them in a way that showed that she liked the attention. Only Sam ever seemed to pick up that deep down, she didn’t actually like it. That was the real truth. Del didn’t like being picked on or made fun of, even if it did make her one of the guys.

Guys! Seriously! Del’s voice was starting to raise above a whisper. She crept around the back of the shed and tried, unsuccessfully, to see into the small forest.

Phil—are you there?

Maybe they had gone home. And where was the priest? Was he hunting them? Had he found her friends? She didn’t know if she should leave or not. It was getting dark, and her mom would expect her home really soon.

She squinted into the foggy dusk of the forest and thought she saw the black shape of a man. She stayed silent and still. If it was the priest, she was pretty sure he hadn’t seen her. She backed up slowly, keeping her eye on her potential assailant.

Suddenly a hand arched across the top part of her chest, just under her neck, grabbing her shoulder. Del nearly jumped out of her skin, but before she could scream, her attacker’s other hand covered her mouth.

Shh, said her attacker.

Del wriggled, trying to get free, but he had a good grip on her. A series of ideas raced through her head as she tried to think of how she could escape. Stomp on his foot. Elbow to the stomach. Poke at his eyes. She tried to twist away, but to no avail. She kept screaming all the time, but his hand acted as an excellent muffler.

Shh, he commanded again. Del, be quiet. It’s me. It’s Guy. You’ve gotta be quiet. The priest is out there.

Del relaxed a little, and Guy loosened his grip. She whipped around, punched him in the gut, and whispered, I know he’s out there; I could see him. What’re you doing grabbing me like that?

Guy looked down and shuffled his feet. Del noticed Phil lurking near the corner of the shed with the usual smirk he wore when the joke was on Del. It was obvious that Guy was just doing as Phil had ordered. His loyalty to Phil was absolutely unwavering, but it was clear that he didn’t always like the antics Phil made him get up to when it involved Del. Guy liked her—not as much as he liked other girls, but he liked her.

Del walked over to Phil and punched him in the arm. Where’s Sam? she asked.

Don’t know, Phil replied. Haven’t seen him since we took off. Maybe the priest got him.

I thought maybe the priest had gotten all of you, said Del. But I just saw him walking in the woods. Sam’s got to be hiding. We’ve got to find him, ‘cause I need to show you guys something.

The three of them set off, away from the woods and the shed, back a little bit toward the church. They were hesitant to call out too loudly, but as it got darker, their voices increased in volume as they kept calling Sam’s name.

Let’s just go home, said Phil. Sam probably just went home.

Del knew that there was no way Sam would leave without them. She also knew Sam would be a little bit scared to walk home in this fog and a lot scared hiding on his own with the priest wandering around. She imagined him curled up in a shivering ball almost crying, waiting for his friends to pass by so that he could rub his eyes and bounce out once he was sure that there were no tears coming. It wasn’t just that Sam was only ten years old. He was sensitive and was not good at acting tough, like Del. Sam was sometimes scared to show his sensitive side to Phil and Guy, but Del had seen it a few times before.

Phil, Guy, and Del arrived at the corner of the church and, without thinking, rounded the corner. There before them was their nemesis.

Hello there, said the priest, smiling.

All three of them took off, taking the most direct route to the lane. Sam came flying out of a nearby bush and joined the sprint-retreat. Del looked over her shoulder and saw the priest in exactly the place they had left him, with the same smile on his face, now shaking his head.

Phil and Guy had no regard for the slower Del and Sam. They just ran. Del’s house was only about a five-minute run from the church along Farmer Road. Phil had the side gate open in time for Guy and then the other two to come flying in to the safety of the yard.

That was awesome, said Guy.

That was close, said Phil.

Too close, said Sam.

Del was anxious to tell her story about the glass. You guys, I found something. Something really cool.

Whatever it is, it’s probably lame, said Phil.

It’s totally not! said Del.

C’mon, Deli, said Phil, using the nickname Del wouldn’t let on that she hated. You always think you have the coolest thing to say, and it’s always something dumb.

Let her talk already. Sam trailed off as he spoke, aware that his status in their foursome did not merit such a challenge to Phil’s leadership.

But Sam so rarely stood up to Phil that this time, Phil let him get away with it. The three boys fell silent as Del began to tell them about everything she had found: the great hiding place under the hedge, the gravestone, and most importantly, the glowing glass.

At the mention of the light in the glass, Phil objected. As if that happened! It was probably just the sun hitting it or something.

Then let’s go back tomorrow, Del said. You can see for yourselves.

It just sounds like there is a dumb piece of bottle stuck in the ground, said Phil.

He wasn’t buying her story, but Del knew what she had seen, and she hoped it would be there when they went back.

Phil continued, I guess we can go back tomorrow and look, but just to prove that you’re crazy.

Sam and Guy agreed, but as they did, Del sensed they both wanted to see what she had seen.

You kids want a snack? Del’s mom stood in the doorway with some lemonade and a box of cookies.

Del rolled her eyes at the suggestion and at her mother’s perfectly done makeup and the ridiculous outfit she was wearing. She desperately wished her mom would act like a regular mom instead of trying to relive her lost college years or whatever.

No thanks, Mrs. Ryder. Phil put on his nicest I’m talking to a parent voice. I need to be getting home for supper.

You can all call me Amy.

You better stay away from calling her Mrs. Ryder, too. Del’s rolling eyes turned to daggers. She’s Ms. Stevens now.

The divorce had happened when Del was eight years old, but Del’s mom had only just recently gone back to her old name. The name change coincided with her sudden shift in fashion and her obsession with perfect hair and nails. Del was sick of hearing her mom talk about how she was finally putting herself out there.

Sorry, Phil said. I forgot.

That’s fine, said Del’s mom. Anyway—I’m Amy to you boys.

Okay, uh… Amy. Guy chimed in, doing something weird with his voice trying to make it somehow sound lower than it was. I, uh, need to be going as well.

At that, Del pushed Phil, Guy, and Sam out the gate and slammed it behind them.

See you tomorrow morning at the place? Sam called. Nine o’clock?

Yeah. I guess so. Del was way more excited about going back to the churchyard than her tone suggested.

Del headed into the house to find that the lemonade and cookies were the extent of the plan for supper.

I’m going out tonight, her mom said. Suzanne is watching you. She’ll make you some food.

I don’t need my sister to watch me, Del complained. And I don’t know what you think happens when you’re not around. I’ll be the one making food for her and probably her boyfriend, too.

No, no, sweetheart. Suzanne and I had a chat—you’re going to have a great girls’ night. Friday night sisters’ night! She said she’s going to pick out a girls’ movie for you two to watch together.

As if that’s going to happen.

Del’s Friday nights for the last three months had consisted of her mother going out and Del acting as babysitter to her older sister and her sister’s boyfriend, Jack. Del had given him the oh-so-clever nickname Jerk but was too frightened to ever call him that to his face. On Fridays, Del was always the one to make sure Suzanne and Jerk had some supper and didn’t mess up the house too much or burn it down. There was that one time that Jerk wanted to light some candles for the romance. The two of them left the candles unattended while they went to the store to get some candy, and the curtain almost went up in smoke. Del, fortunately, had found the candles before anything terrible happened. She never told her mom about the incident nor any of the other incidents, her secrecy enforced by Jerk’s threats and, in that one case, a small share in the candy.

Jerk came over about an hour after Del’s mom had left. Del had already whipped up some scrambled eggs and toast for them to eat.

These eggs are terrible, said Jerk after grabbing them for himself. They’re totally cold.

I cooked them twenty minutes ago, said Del. Those are just our leftovers. I didn’t know you would want any.

Why don’t you make some new ones? Jerk ordered.

Sorry, JACK. Del made sure to not call him Jerk. Those were the last eggs.

Maybe you should go to the store and get some more, then.

I’m only eleven, and I’m not allowed to go to the store by myself after dark. Maybe you should order a pizza.

You’re lippy tonight, said Jerk. What’s wrong with you? Usually you’re up in your room crying by now. Off you go now. I need some time with my babe.

She’s just growing up—aren’t you, Deli? said Suzanne. She’s got three boyfriends, y’know. That Guy guy is kind of cute. Maybe you should settle on just him. But I guess if you can have three boyfriends, why not?

Jerk rolled his eyes as Del punched her sister in the arm.

Shut up, Suzanne, Del said.

I heard you talking about some stupid thing you found at the church, said Suzanne, changing the subject. Jack, you know our little Deli’s found religion down at the old church. Be careful with those three boyfriends, though—I’m pretty sure God looks down on that kind of thing.

Del, at age eleven, was intelligent well beyond her years, but she always had trouble outdoing the insults that her teenage sister could come up with. This was why Jerk was basically right; she spent most of her Friday nights upstairs in tears. They were almost always tears of frustration. Frustration at her life, frustration at being confused about her relationship with her mom, frustration at having to grow up too fast, and frustration at not being able to fight back against her sister and Jerk. The tears started to well up.

Oh. Here they come. Time for the waterworks. Jerk was relentless.

Seriously, Deli. Suzanne tried to pull things back a bit. What did you find out there?

Nothing! Nothing! And even if there was something out there, you’re the last people I would tell. Del stormed upstairs.

So, you don’t mind if we come with you out there in the morning? Suzanne called.

Del made it to her room before she started to seriously break down. She slammed the door and buried her face in her pillow. What should have been a night of excited anticipation at whatever discovery they would make the next day turned into a tear-soaked pillowcase. Del couldn’t stop her mind from spinning in circles for what seemed like hours. Finally, her thoughts fell on, of all things, Sam. Somehow, just picturing her best friend calmed her down. She thought about texting him but unexpectedly felt kind of nervous about it.

Her phone vibrated in her hand. The message just said can’t wait for tomorrow. It was Sam. Del finally got that bit of excitement back in her gut: just enough to strike the right balance to lead to a good night’s sleep. Maybe with her friends by her side in the morning, all would be well.

2

DIGGING OUT A DOOR

Del did not need the alarm she had set for herself. She was up and ready to go by seven, two hours before she was supposed to meet the boys. She was worried that her sister would follow through on the threat she had made the night before to join Del in the churchyard. Del knew teenage Suzanne loved her sleep far more than any threats she might make to spoil Del’s fun, but even so, Del had decided to be careful.

Del sat