“Thanks.” I gave him a small smile, for smiling didn’t seem appropriate after seeing Eli die. The first time it happened when facing the dragon, I had no control, nor when I blasted Mortem. But the third time, I felt that I had, except I blacked out. Thank God Father was there.
Abel stopped pacing and shoved his hands inside his pants pockets. “What did Mortem mean that there is someone we should fear more than Cyrus?”
None of us said a word. We had no idea.
Father braced his arm around Abel to give him reassurance, but we were so scared. No one would admit it because in the end we had no choice but to fight. It was who we were.
“I don’t know,” Father admitted, but his eyes flickered back and forth as they did when he searched his memories. “Let’s not worry about that now. We deal with one problem at a time. Right now, we need to find the missing page.”
“How do we find Eli?” Milani’s tears glistened in her eyes. She spoke the words I dared not ask Father. “We were supposed to recuse him, instead he’s…he’s worse. You were all there. He can’t control what he is.” Her lips trembled. “What is he? He couldn’t recognize us. Is he what Clarissa is, or will he be?”
Brody wrapped his arm around her trembling body, and she let his big, strong arms cover her head. With her face pressed into his chest, she sobbed.
“Eli will be fine for now,” Father said. “He tied himself to Lucia when he drank her blood, half of him anyway. So we have not lost him yet. We won’t need to find Eli. He’ll come find us. I’m sure Cyrus will be tracing our lead.”
“That’s a relief.” Brody eased his shoulders, patting Milani’s back. “There, there, everything will work out.”
Jack dipped his chin down for a second, for he too felt the ache, and then he lifted up his sword as if he’d found a new revelation. “The sword. Lucia, why did you use my sword? Does it hold special power and only the angels can will it?”
“No,” Uncle Davin intervened. “Anyone can use it, such as yourself, but there’s something special about the sword. We need to find out what it is.”
“What’s our next plan?” Abel scrubbed a hand over his face in exhaustion. I didn’t blame him. That was one hell of a ride with Cyrus and his demons.
Father rounded his shoulders to stretch. “For one thing, we need to get out of here. Lucia’s light distracted the demons, but if Cyrus knows we are still here, he’ll let them loose.”
Trying to recall Eli’s words, I closed my eyes and then opened them to speak. For a moment, I felt his kiss on my lips, the kiss he gave me when he recognized who I was, or so I hoped. At least he knew I hadn’t broken my promise to find him. “We need to astral travel to find Ikelia, Eli’s mother, and Jacques de Molay. He will visit her again.”
Zach nodded with his arms crossed. “That makes sense. Milani, can you take us there?”
Milani released Brody and wiped her tears. Her demeanor changed. With her chin up high, she said with conviction, “Yes. Like I said, I’ve been practicing.”
“Are you sure?” Abel’s nostrils flared. “I don’t want to be sent somewhere I don’t want to be.”
“Shut up,” Milani huffed. “Or I’ll send you where you don’t want to go by yourself.”
Abel rolled his eyes and kept quiet.
“Stop.” Uncle Davin placed out his hand. “Enough. You are not allowed to bitch, or was it bicker…Just stop. Milani, wave your wand, or do a dance, or whatever, I don’t care, just don’t take us back in there.” He pointed to the cave. “Now, everyone move your ass and make a circle.”
“I’m not a fairy, and I don’t have a wand.” Milani waved her hand as if she held a wand. “I’m an Elementa, or a witch if you would rather use that term. I prefer the first.”
Father snorted.
“What?” Uncle Davin glared at Father. “See what I have to deal with? I’m so glad at least you’re here. These children fight like toddlers, and they drive me nuts.”
Father rubbed his chin, and his lips twisted to hide a smile. “Funny how things come full circle. I recall a time when I had to deal with a particular someone with the same level of immaturity, and it certainly had nothing to do with these kids.”
Uncle Davin growled. “Make a damn circle.”
“We are, but you’re not.” Zach snickered. “We’re waiting for you.”
Uncle Davin released a long breath and ran his hand down his face when he realized he stood alone. We had formed the circle starting from Father, and Uncle Davin hadn’t noticed when going about his tirade. “Fine. You’re supposed to make a circle with me, not Michael. It’s always Michael.”
Milani started to speak under her breath while we remained quiet.
“Wait,” Father said. “This is a tourist spot. Where are the people? Did Cyrus—”
“No.” Jack pointed at Uncle Davin with his lips spread to his ears, like a child tattling. “Mr. President flashed his FBI T-shirt and told everyone the volcano was about to explode. People ran like mad, and they shut it down.”
An irate sound rumbled out of Father’s throat. “Did he, now?”
Uncle Davin shrugged. “It was the fastest and safest way to get everyone out. Besides, it was so much fun. I’ve always wanted to say that.”
“Can we get going?” I reminded everyone of our purpose.
Milani nodded in agreement. She too felt urgency and began to tap her feet. “On the count of three.” She began to murmur while we connected our hands.
“Not so fast.” A female voice I didn’t recognize cut through the air. Two swords pointed at us. Not any kind of sword, but one exactly like Jack’s.
“Not again,” Abel grumbled, puffing out air.
“What do you want?” Father demanded, his wings slowly expanding, a warning. “And who are you?”
The two people backed away when Father came forth. His massive wings showed authority and power. Father pulled out his sword when they pointed their swords at him. “I’m not going to ask you again.”
“I’m Harper, and this is my brother Hugo.” She gestured her head in his direction.
They both wore casual jeans and T-shirts and seemed like unthreatening high school kids. But they held their swords like they knew how to handle them.
“What’s your business?” Uncle Davin, his sword by his side, stood next to Father.
“How did you get that sword?” Jack added, showing his.
“How did you get yours?” Harper arched her eyebrows, and shook her head to move a strand aside.
Jack lowered his sword. “I’m Jack, descendant of Jacques de Molay. This sword was passed down the line for many generations.”
“Lucky you.” Harper smirked.
That girl was a spitfire, and I had a feeling she would be a disagreeable being.
“Now it’s your turn to tell us. That’s how conversation works.” Abel shifted his weight from one foot to another, growing impatient.
Hugo raked his short blond hair back. “We’re Geoffroi de Charney’s and Andre de Montbard’s descendants. Other Knights Templar. And like you,” he pointed at Jack, “we inherited their swords. These swords have been passed down our generations.”
“Uh duh,” Milani muttered under her breath.
“That’s good to know, but where have you come from? How did you know we were here?” Uncle Davin asked.
Harper wrung a strand of hair behind her ear and clicked her tongue. “It’s all over the news that some idiot shouted FBI and announced that the volcano would erupt. So we concluded two things. One, supernatural beings must have caused the alarm so they could enter the volcano. And the second, some idiot was being an idiot.”
Uncle Davin frowned. “I’m not an idiot, smart ass.”
Father smacked Uncle Davin’s back, causing Uncle Davin to leap forward. Father disapproved when Uncle Davin used useless human insults.
“You’re the idiots for being here. What if the demons surrounded this area?” Uncle Davin wrinkled his nose and pulled his
eyebrows to the center.
Hugo raised his sword again. “We would know. This sword shines like a warning bell.”
“Well, so does mine.” Uncle Davin wrinkled his nose. Rolling back his shoulders, he advanced with a challenging rise of his chest.
Father gripped Uncle Davin’s shirt and pulled him back. “What is your business here? As you can see, we’ve got this under control. I’m going to let the proper authority know that all is fine and the park can be opened.”
Harper leaned on her hip with her sword down. “You don’t get it. The demons inside are going to blow up this volcano, better yet, blow up Hawaii. What better way than melt the island,” she said with sarcasm.
“But why?” I asked. Her face showed surprise that I had asked such a question.
“Because they can, and they are monsters. They don’t care about humans,” Harper answered.
I narrowed my eyes at her, assessing her. Was she truly a Knights Templar descendant, or was she some kind of Fallen or demon? After experiencing Mortem’s wrath and knowing how he could change his face and body to be someone else, I hesitated to trust her. “And how do you know this?”
She cocked her head to her brother. “We’re half human and half Elementa. And I know how to astral travel. I’ve been following Geoffroi’s past. He has encountered a demon called Cyrus and one named Vince, the second in command. Have you heard of Vince?”
I exchanged glances with Zach. When Eli and I astral traveled together for the first time, I had witnessed Vince’s evil ways when he tried to kill a family, but Ikelia stopped him. Vince also tried to bargain with Abel to hand over Eli.
Don’t say anything, Zach said in my mind.
“Maybe.” Uncle Davin paused, studying them, making a complete circle around them. He seemed suspicious, too. I didn’t blame him. “Anyway …” He stopped in front of Harper. “It was not nice meeting you, but we must go. So scoot long.” He waved a hand as if to scoot a bug in the way. “Go on. Go back home. Go back where you came from, and don’t find us again.”
Harper pressed forward, her chest inches away from Uncle Davin’s. “I’m not going anywhere. We want to come with you.”
“No.” Father’s tone meant final.
Uncle Davin shrugged and backed away. “He’s the boss. We do as he says, and I suggest you do too. You have no idea what he’s capable of. He can tear your limbs with his sharp, giant wings. His wings will be like a chainsaw, shredding you to nothing. You won’t even have a splinter of a bone left to identify who you are.”
“That’s enough,” Father said softly and shifted his attention to the teens. “Either you leave now or I’ll escort you. Your choice.”
“We want to go with you,” Harper said again. “We can help.”
This girl was stubborn and arrogant.
“How do you know our mission?” Father asked.
“Because we were there when you fought against Cyrus at the football field,” Hugo stated. “We held edelweiss to help you ward off demons. There were many of us. It would not have been possible for any of you to notice us. We saw what Cyrus did to Eli. We know about the missing pages from Jacques de Molay’s book. We know Cyrus wants to unlock Hell’s gate and release the beasts. We can help you.”
Silence.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Water dripped from the walls at the end of the cave.
“We could use some help. But you must …” Father stopped speaking and gazed at Harper’s and Hugo’s swords and then Jack’s. Dim light shone from the swords, which shook with slight vibrations. “They know we’re still here. We need to go now. Come.”
After we formed a circle, Milani started with her words.
“Wait. What are we doing?” Harper asked.
Brody groaned.
“I thought you were an Elementa.” Milani glared at her.
“I’m also a descendant of the Knights Templar.” Harper twisted her lips, gloating. “Raise your sword next to mine and have the tips touching.”
Jack and Hugo did as told. “Crap. We need at least four.”
Father connected the tip of his sword to the other three. “Mine is from the original Divine Elders. Mine will work.”
Four people formed a circle.
“Everyone, get ready. Place your hand on one of us,” Harper commanded and mumbled words, and the wind kicked in. “Where are we going?”
“Back to 1300. Follow Jacques to a small shop, on a street called Rue Saint Paul,” I answered.
Then gravity sucked me in, and darkness gobbled us up.
Chapter 15
1300
Jacques de Molay
A dull thump vibrated in Jacques’s ears. Thinking he was dreaming, he drifted back to sleep. Thump, thump! Jacques’s body twitched. He growled irately as he shifted in his bed. Then three loud consecutive thumps pulled him out of slumber. The pounding did not stop. Squinting, he adjusted his lantern and jumped out of bed as the pounding became frantic.
“Who’s there?” Jacques asked, panic rising to his chest. Never had he had a visitor in the middle of the night so desperate for his attention.
“It’s me, Geoffroi. Hurry. Open the door.”
Jacques rubbed his eyes as if he could brush the sleep away and yanked the door open. “What—”
“Give me your necklace,” Geoffroi cut in. He pushed himself in and shut it behind him so fast Jacques barely touched the door.
Jacques backed away, almost toward his desk. His impulse was always to protect his book. “I’m willing to help you, my friend, any time of the day, but what in Heaven is the meaning of this visit? What’s so urgent you cannot wait for the morning?”
With his body trembling, Geoffroi looked behind his shoulder and then back to Jacques. His gray eyes widened in horror. Folding his arms to his chest, he leaned closer and whispered, “I have seen the demon you spoke of. He came to my room, demanding the necklace you wear. If I don’t give it to him, he said he would kill us, every one of us. Please Jacques, have compassion. Hand it to me. Save us all.”
Jacques grasped the crystal cross necklace Ikelia had given him. She had placed a spell so that Cyrus could not see him, nor find him, nor harm him, but the necklace did not ensure his brothers’ safety. He found it odd that Cyrus would visit Geoffroi of all the brothers. Random search? How would Cyrus know whom to terrorize?
Jacques placed the lantern down on his desk, next to his book. “Did this demon give you a name?”
“No. I was too frightened to ask.”
Jacques pulled out a chair for his friend. “Here. Come sit and tell me all about it.”
Geoffroi did not move a muscle. He continued to stand beside the door. “I cannot. He’s coming back. You must listen to me, friend. Hand me your necklace.”
Jacques did not know what to do. He could easily give his necklace to his friend, but that would leave him exposed and vulnerable for Cyrus to find him. And if the demon wanted the necklace, why hadn’t it asked Jacques for it? Something did not add up.
“This is one thing I cannot give you.” Jacques met his friend’s eyes, hoping he would understand.
Geoffroi took a step closer, his eyes pinning Jacques. “Why? Does your life matter more to you than mine? Than all of your brothers?”
Jacques took a step back, eyeing his sword on the other side of the table. If only he had stood on that side. Surely Geoffroi did not intend any harm. He must be scared beyond his wits to act this way. But Geoffroi was brave. He would jump in front of a sword to save Jacques. He supposed encountering a demon could make one do things one would never do.
“I’ve explained it to you. Cyrus will know where I am. I must protect what is most precious.” Jacques’s eyes shifted to the book, trying not to make it obvious. He needed to hide page two as soon as possible.
Geoffroi’s eyes turned darker as he took a measured, calculating step again. Tilting his head sideways, examining Jacques, he seethed, slowly saying one word at a time, “Explain to me again how you, a pathetic human,
could have the power to hide from the master of demons?”
Jacques froze, not just from his friend’s tone, but also the way Geoffroi’s eyes turned bloody red and fangs protruded from his mouth.
“Geoffroi?” Jacques swallowed, trying not to let fear take over his muscles. “What’s happening to you?”
Geoffroi’s back muscles ripped and contoured as he dipped his face lower. Something black materialized. A cloth? No. A cape? No.
“Geoffroi, are you unwell? What is happening to you?” Jacques reached out to his friend to help, but thought otherwise and grabbed his sword instead. His gut told him to run out the door and run fast and far. But how far could he get? Then guilt washed through him to see his friend curled up, but …
What in Heaven’s name?
Wings! Wings darted out from Geoffroi’s back, like a bird ready to take flight, and when he lifted his face, a face Jacques had never seen before replaced Geoffroi’s.
Shock slammed into Jacques, and the room began to spin as he flattened his back against the wall to hold him steady. Impossible! But then he thought … no. Possible. He’d been face to face with Cyrus. With his very own eyes, he’d seen Father Simon die at the hands of such a devil, and even felt the torture of the true-cross dagger. Jacques placed his hand over that spot, where not a mark showed he’d been stabbed there. Shuddering in fear, he raised his sword.
Blasphemy!
“What happened to me, you ask?” The evil one roared, his wings flapping in the tight, small space, creating an unwanted breeze. “Nothing has happened to me. But something will happen to you if you don’t give me that necklace.” The demon seized Jacques’s wrist, causing him to drop his sword from the pain inflicted.
“Who are you?” Jacques asked, his lips trembling. With no weapon, he had no way to defend himself. “How is it possible that you can find me?”
The demon closed his wings and ran his fingernail down Jacques’s cheek. “Let me introduce myself,” he hissed, licking his lips as his eyes fell on the pulsating vein on Jacques’s neck. “I’m Mortem. I’m able to see you, even under the protection of that pathetic necklace. Your witch…” he clicked his tongue. “Naughty girl. She thinks she can outsmart us. But you see, I’m an Elementa too. The spell does not work against those with Elementa blood.” His irises thumped like a beating heart. “So you see, you can’t hide from me. Now, give me that necklace before I bite your neck and drain your blood.”