The Seal of Solomon

by Nadine Travers

  Chapter Five

  Lilandra

  I follow them inside, the half-giant staying close to me.

  “You’ll have to excuse him. He only thinks in terms of black and white. He doesn’t understand there are shades of gray in this world.”

  I smile at the older man. “Don’t worry. I’ve dealt with worse. I’m Lilandra.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Lilandra. I’m Josh. I’m part of this church. If you’re wondering, I’m human, but since we have more than one magical object to protect, we have several paranormal creatures that live with us. I found Roan and his mother in the woods. Both were in bad shape and his mother didn’t survive. We raised him and took him inside our walls and ever since, he’s vowed to protect us since he’s stronger than everyone else here.”

  I look at Roan, he reminds me of Kane. While Kane is a half-demon and therefore bigger and stronger than most, this guy is even larger, and I imagine stronger than Kane. “The mixing of species, is it rare around here?”

  Josh looks at me. “It’s not as rare as it was. Mixed breeds like half-demons are becoming common. We have factions similar to those in Montreal, which I’m guessing is where you came from, but they’re smaller. The warrior witch coven is well known here though.”

  “True, we’ve started to see an increase in mixed-species mating as well. We have someone that is trying to hurt us, and by us, I mean the whole community. We don’t know what they’re after for sure, but the enemy is old and working is on something to give them power.” I look at Josh. He’s human but seems to know a lot about us, which prompts my next question. “Have you heard of the SIA?” He nods and I continue. “They’re investigating, and although we have some information, it’s not much at the moment.”

  He strokes his chin, thinking. “I’m not connected with factional organizations here, but this attack tells me more will come.”

  We enter a large hall and several priests head toward us. They’re looking at me like I’m an alien. I’m guessing my leather pants and top, along with my long trench coat, aren’t something they see often.

  “Please, come join us. You must be starving. We’ll eat and talk.”

  I nod and head toward a long wooden table. Josh sits at the end with Roan on one side while I take the other. I ate before I left the coven, but the fight with Roan has made me hungry, using magic to fight takes a lot out of us.

  “You’re not a usual warrior witch, Lilandra.”

  I look at Josh. “How so?”

  “I know members of your coven carry weapons they can manipulate with magic. I noticed you cast only magic and it becomes the weapon you need.”

  “I guess I am but I’ve never really thought much about it. It’s just the way it is and I’m busy with missions most of the time. At the moment, it’s worse than you can imagine, and we barely have time to rest.” This new reality is tiring.

  “We don’t hear much here but we have a lot of magical artifacts. I hope they don’t all send out a call at the same time. That would be really bad for us. However, I sense something in your energy. Something has happened to you in the past.”

  I look at Josh in surprise. If he can sense that, then he hasn’t been honest with me about who he really is. “I thought you said you were human. What are you, really? You’re obviously not a priest, at least not in the conventional sense of the word.”

  “The church is just a front. Everyone here has some kind of ability, although not everyone is paranormal. I’m what you’d call a telepath, which is common here. Others have powers similar to mine, but nothing like yours, or what the other creatures that were here today to steal the Seal have. We’re lucky we have Roan because if we didn’t, those people would’ve killed us all. The Seal is protected by magic, and if anyone attempts to retrieve it without knowing how to disarm the traps, the result would be catastrophic.”

  I think for a minute, trying to remember the information I have on the Seal. “Wow. You were lucky then.” I look back at Josh, something he said has intrigued me. “When you say your abilities are nothing like ours, what do you mean?”

  He smiles at me. “I mean our power isn’t strong like the ancient paranormal people. We have telepaths and empaths here. For reasons we don’t understand, we were pulled here, like you were to your faction. We’ve had witches, werewolves, and vampires, but those families aren’t here for long before they head to Montreal.”

  According to our history books, most of the creatures that arrived in Montreal moved from around the country, which is probably why there are smaller factions around other major cities. “You know if you need it, the SIA is there to help. Sure, they’re based in Montreal, at the old port, but that doesn’t mean they can’t send agents here.” I take the chicken from my plate and eat, my hunger becoming overwhelming. I almost groan when the taste of the chicken hits my taste buds.

  “Well, in that case, why are you here? You said you had a call, but we never contacted you.” Roan’s tone is accusing.

  “I told you, Roan, it doesn’t work like that,” Josh answers.

  I look at Roan’s eyes; they are light brown, like the earth. “Josh is right. It doesn’t work like that for us. Each warrior witch has a specialty. Mine is jewelry. Each time a magical object feels evil energies too close to it, they call to us. We have several different kinds of warrior witch. My protégé, Juniper, specializes in stone objects and that’s where her calls come from. We have to answer the call. If we don’t, we have problems with our magic, nothing fatal but enough that it could become dangerous if we’re on a mission. The fact that we’ve been getting so many calls made us realize something was wrong, not with the objects themselves, but more that someone is trying to find them all. But we don’t know the reason why, and who’s behind it.”

  As I eat a bite of mashed potatoes, I feel the Seal call again. It’s close.

  “What do you do with those objects once you’ve retrieved them, if I may ask,” Josh says.

  “That’s simple. I take them to the Librarian for protection.”

  “The Librarian? Who is this person?” Roan asks.

  “The Librarian’s job is to retrieve the magical object from the warrior witch that rescued it. The call goes out when it’s not the right time for it to be found and it needs protecting. She has a secure vault where she keeps all of the recovered objects. None of us know exactly where it is, for her safety and ours.”

  “And when the time is right for them to be back in the world? What happens if they’re not in the place they should be?”

  I laugh. Roan is another Juniper, always asking questions. When she first arrived at the coven she was so full of questions, my head spun every time I was with her. “We aren’t sure why, but when the time is right, and the magical object feels the call to be back where it belongs, to be found by the right person, it disappears from inside the Librarian’s vault. That’s how we know it doesn’t need protection anymore. The objects have magic, but it’s not like ours. The only thing they can do is make a call and teleport back to where they are supposed to be in the first place. When the time is right, the Seal will be back here where you’ve hidden it, and you won’t know how it came to be there.”

  “And who protects the Librarian? You say that it’s now a woman, but the last time I heard it was a man,” Josh asked.

  “True, but his time was up, and his successor was chosen. She’s young and adventurous, but now she has a werewolf bodyguard that helps keep her in one place, or at least he’s supposed to.”

  Josh chuckles at this. “I take it she’s rather spirited.”

  “You have no idea. Luckily, her bodyguard is also her mate.” I laugh. “She just doesn’t know it yet. He does, thanks to his beast and sense of smell, and that’s the true reason he’s protecting her.”

  Josh’s smile is soft as understanding lights his eyes. “I see. As for the Seal, we’ll give it to you tomorrow morning. You need some rest, and we have a celebration tonight. The Samhain is getting close and w
e had things planned before this happened. I hope you’ll join us for it.”

  My smile slips. Since my mate died, I don’t celebrate Samhain.

  “What happened, my child.”

  I look at Josh. “What do you mean?” I put my hands in my lap and look away.

  “You were smiling, then all of a sudden, you were sad.”

  I force a smile. “Sorry, it’s nothing. Life is precious, and time runs slow as hell.” I continue to eat. My dead mate is something I don’t want to talk about. It’s something personal that I like to keep to myself and only release at night when I’m alone.

  “As you wish, but if you need it, I’m an excellent listener.”

  “Thank you, but for now I’m good. What are you doing to celebrate the summer solstice?” I ask in an attempt to change the subject.

  “That’s easy. We celebrate the good harvest, that the veil between worlds is getting thinner, and bless everyone. As I mentioned, I’m a telepath, but there are those that are Wiccan inside these walls. For reasons I’ll never understand, I love the energy as it’s floating around the people. It’s recharging, and we mostly keep to the old ways. A lot of humans come to every celebration we have. It’s fun and brings a lot of people inside the walls.”

  I can hear the excitement in his voice. “We need to be careful though. They could be back and try again. Are you sure it’s wise to open the doors to humans?” My concern is not only for the object but for them as well.

  “We have more people coming to help us, and we have Roan. They can’t defeat him.”

  “Josh, I’m not sure about this.” It’s not that I don’t want them to celebrate, but I have a mission to finish and my stomach is churning. “I really think I should take it now.”

  “I know you’re impatient to get back, but you need to wait.”

  “I am, but I also don’t want to give them an opportunity to steal it. You know what the Seal can do, right?” I didn’t want to say it, but I was positive the group that came today would do whatever they had to in order to get their hands on the Seal.

  “Yes, the Seal of Solomon controls demons, and I know from experience it can. It means whoever possesses it will be extremely powerful.”

  “If you know all that, then why not just let me go ahead and take it? I respect that it’s the summer solstice, but I need to get it away from here. I know they’ll try to get it again,” I say, trying to make them understand my urgency. The Seal needed to be in the Librarian’s hands.

  “I know, but now is not the right time. You may have received the call, but I sense that if you go now, something bad will happen.”

  Hearing that, I knew his mind was made up and I wasn’t going anywhere. At least I’d be here if they needed me. The Seal was coming home with me first thing in the morning, and if things got too dangerous, I’d find it sooner and summon my circle.

  We finish our meal in silence, and Josh leads me to where the festivities are happening.

  Chapter Six

  Donovan

  Night finally falls and Jeremy appears. “You didn’t succeed?”

  “What do you think? They have a half-giant with them, we never expected that. I didn’t think they existed.”

  Jeremy pinches his nose. “So, what’s the plan now?”

  “Tonight is their celebration of the coming of Samhain and you need to get close to the church. You need to get inside, enthrall the half-giant and get him to find the Seal,” Sophia says.

  Jeremy looks at me. “So, basically, I’m the one that will go in without a safety net and expose himself to everyone, and why can’t we fetch it ourselves?”

  My wound doesn’t bother me too much, but it’s enough to bug me, which leaves my patience running thin. “They know our faces. We made the first move when you were asleep, don’t forget about that. We tried to do this without getting you involved, but we’ve since been told it’s protected by elf traps as well as magic. There is no way any of us can defeat that, but we’re sure the half-giant knows how to get around them as he’s its main protector. The warrior witch is probably already here as well to retrieve it, and we can’t leave without the Seal. The Lady needs it to succeed in her master plan. Don’t worry, we’ll be close by to help if you need it.”

  My mate comes over to me. “Jeremy, we need you. You know the big picture and why we have to do it. It’s what Damaris wanted.”

  When my mate says Damaris’s name, Jeremy shifts uncomfortably, guilt present on his face. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been having problems dealing with Damaris’s fate, but I’ll do it.”

  I know we’re playing him, and that he probably won’t be part of the bigger plan, but for now we need the vampires to join us. It was supposed to be Damaris’s job to make them see that change is needed, and lucky for us, he’d been able to convince Jeremy to join our cause before he was captured and word was sent back to his brother of his capture. I just hope he isn’t dead. I didn’t like him, but not even he deserves the kind of death I know Alto would have dished out.

  “You need to join the celebration. That will be easy since everyone is invited and it will give you an excuse for being there, but you also need to find the warrior witch, she’ll lead you to it if you can’t enthrall the half-giant. We need you to be discreet, and we need to get that Seal to the Lady,” I tell Jeremy.

  “Fine, I’ll go.” He heads toward the door.

  I take my mate in my arms and she looks up at me. “Do you think—”

  I kiss my mate to silence her words. “Don’t talk. He can hear if he wants.”

  She nods and I continue to kiss her.

  We need to succeed in our mission, and Jeremy is the key.

  Chapter Seven

  Lilandra

  I’m not a happy camper. The celebration is going great, but I can’t relax. I keep looking around and glancing over my shoulder, waiting for something to happen. The urge to get the Seal and return to the safety of the coven is growing stronger.

  Roan is walking around and eyeing everyone, I guess I’m not the only one that can’t let loose and celebrate. Josh is in his element though, smiling and talking to people. I can tell a lot of them are humans, but there are several kinds of paranormal creatures here as well.

  “Relax, my friend. Nobody will come here.”

  I look at Josh. “I’m not so sure of that. I know those people want it, no matter the cost. The last time we were lucky, a daywalker captured a rogue vampire, who happened to be wearing the stone that had been causing my protégé’s magic to backfire.” Looking over the top of Josh’s head I realize how tall I am compared to him. My height is average for a warrior witch but above average for a human. I always thought it was because we needed to fight the same way as the men do.

  “You said a daywalker?”

  “Yes, a daywalker. Casey. There are others like her within the vampire faction’s internal affairs.”

  Josh is surprised. “I thought they weren’t real. There are a lot of things we don’t know about though.”

  “More than you even know. Don’t worry about it though, we all thought daywalkers were a legend. The cherry on top will be if the dragon shifters return. We know they disappeared but we don’t know the reason why, and we think they’re extent now.”

  Josh strokes his chin. “Interesting. We have some books here on different subjects but none of them mention dragon shifters, but I suppose we don’t know everything. I’m the only telepath here, and we mainly deal with humans.”

  I look at people dancing in the street. “Is every pagan sabbath and the other calendar events celebrated here?”

  He looks back at the group of people having fun. “Yes, they are. For most humans, we’re a regular church, but a few know the difference. That serves us, we can grow inside the human community, and for those who can see, they ally with us. You don’t have that in Montreal?”

  I see that factions exist here, but it’s nothing like what we have. I guess it’s because the Vancouver community is smalle
r compared to Montreal.

  “We have a neutral zone for those that want to mingle with other species. The witches’ territory is limited, but mind you, we’re closer to humans compared to vampires. The fact that people are more open to what they call ‘new-age philosophy’ means we can stay the way we are and not hide like the vampires have to do. And we don’t look at humans like they’re our next meal which probably helps.”

  Josh chuckles. “True, but nonetheless, you can’t walk around in another faction’s territory?”

  “No, you can pass through it on the major streets, but a werewolf can’t come to a witches store and buy something. It’s the same with us witches. We can’t go into werewolf territory.”

  The more I talk, the more I see problems occurring in the future. Will we always be able to find our mates inside our own faction? I’m starting to have doubts. A werewolf is the only paranormal who can’t control who they mate with. A century ago, some humans joined different factions due to mating, but now we’re seeing new pairings between factions such as witches mated to werewolves and vampires to half-demons.

  “Have you found your mate?”

  I jump at his question. “Did you dig in my brain again?” I have respect for telepaths and their culture, but my thoughts are my own and my headspace belongs to me.

  “No, I asked a legitimate question. You’re old enough to have found one, and from the way you look so somber sometimes, and as I can feel the sadness coming off you, I was just wondering.”

  Memories of the past force their way into my head. Images jump in my memories. Did I have a mate? Luckily, yes, but it’s been a decade since he passed to the other side and left me alone.

  Ten years ago.