Item from When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
A diadem containing the imprisoned essence of a jealous god — worn by a child who doesn't know the universe's most dangerous prisoner lives on her brow.
The Aether Stone is less a crown and more a prison cell that happens to be beautiful. Inside it, Caelis — the Creator God of the Aether, the invisible, intangible god who caused seven moonfalls out of jealous rage — waits. The stone was created by the other four Creators after they determined Caelis was dragging dragon-moons back to earth, and it was entrusted to the Nevan women as eternal wardens. The destruction of the Nevan family by Ostern broke the warden line. Kyzari wears it now by inheritance and tradition, but she is Vaegor by upbringing if not by blood. The question of what happens if the stone's ward fails — if Caelis escapes — hangs over the entire series like a moon about to fall. This single artifact connects the political drama (Vaegor vs. Nevan) to the cosmic drama (Creators vs. Caelis) to the personal drama (Raeve is the lost Nevan heir who should be wearing it).
A diadem — an elegant crown-like headpiece designed to be worn across the forehead. The stone itself pulses with an energy that feels wrong to anyone sensitive to elemental magic — not hot or cold or windy or solid, but something else entirely. Something that shouldn't be there. The craftsmanship is ancient, predating all three kingdoms, made by hands that were not mortal.
Also known as: The Diadem, Caelis's Prison