I turned back to see Xuanwu and Qinglong smiling longingly at the two brothers. I glanced at Ryuu and he very discreetly shook his head, advising me not to pry. Which was probably good advice.
“Why the sad smile?” I asked anyway, pretending not to notice Ryuu’s almost inaudible curse.
Xuanwu shrugged. “Family. They remind me of my sisters.” Qinglong hung his head, nodding.
I was silent for a few moments. He was speaking of the White Tiger and the Vermillion Bird. I didn’t know much about them, just that they were not around. “What really happened to them?” I asked softly, walking laterally in a casual manner, wanting to get a look at whatever he was hiding.
Xuanwu hesitated, coincidentally turning with me to keep his hand hidden. I arched an eyebrow and he let out a sigh. “We were actually discussing them before you came in. Because of this,” he explained. He brought out his claw to reveal—
I jumped back with a surprised shout. “Where did you get that?” I demanded, pointing.
Because he held a fiery lotus blossom in his claw—exactly like the one I had found last night.
11
He cocked his head warily. “I’ve carried this for many, many years. It usually only smolders at the edges, but it flared brighter once I came here. I got it the day they went missing.” The flower emitted faint burps of sparks as a low flame flickered around the edges, never burning out.
Qinglong cocked his head, seeming to frown at me. “You have seen one before,” he murmured.
I nodded shakily, opening my mouth. Xuanwu shook his head meaningfully, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Lilith storming down the hall with an angry, distraught look on her face. Her cheek was covered with black soot, and her hair was a wild tangle. Samael jogged at her side, shooting us an anxious look from over her shoulder as he tried to appease her obvious anger. The two disappeared from view and I turned back to the Divines, shaking my head. “Trouble in paradise,” I murmured. “Poor Samael.”
Except Xuanwu and Qinglong didn’t look amused. They looked thoughtful. “She excused herself earlier when Samael told us the big news. She looked distraught then, as well.”
“But her face wasn’t dirty, and her hair wasn’t all…whatever that was,” Qinglong added.
“Maybe she is embarrassed that she doesn’t have friends to invite,” I mused, feeling sympathy for the bride-to-be. She’d been locked up for one hundred years, so her circle of friends wasn’t extensive. As far as I knew, it was pretty much just me. “Claire and I could take her out for a bachelorette soiree, but not tonight.”
Xuanwu smiled. “That is very kind of you.” His attention drifted back to the fiery lotus in his palm.
I realized I hadn’t answered Qinglong. “I saw a flower just like that last night,” I said, warily.
Xuanwu flinched, and Qinglong gasped. “What?” Ryuu narrowed his eyes at me, not looking pleased that I had kept this news from him. Especially now that it concerned his mentor.
I would have to deal with that later. I studied Qinglong with a bemused frown. He should have known about it. He’d lived in my mother’s laboratory for decades, guarding it from intruders. “In my mother’s laboratory.”
He scoffed. “Impossible.” Xuanwu frowned at his brother, looking troubled.
“It was inside a metal box,” I assured him.
Qinglong stared from me to the flower and then snarled. “You will show us. Now.” Ryuu stepped up beside me and rested his hand on my shoulder. Xuanwu and Qinglong did the same, making contact. With no other option, I Shadow Walked us there.
Qinglong immediately began searching for the metal box. “Where?” He demanded, sounding furious.
I walked up to the metal box and scooped it up. Then I opened it, holding it so that everyone could see. The fiery flower flickered within, and Xuanwu lifted up his own flower for comparison. The two didn’t react to each other but they were definitely identical. The two brothers stared incredulously, and then shared a long look. “I’ve never seen that box,” Qinglong finally said, frowning at it.
I gestured at the table with my chin. “It was sitting under a pile of books.”
Xuanwu leaned closer, practically sticking his beak in the box. Then he snorted—thankfully not blowing out the flower—and jerked his head back. He studied me with a frown. “That looks like your Spear of Destiny on that card.”
I nodded. “It’s a spitting image. The breaks even line up. But I don’t know what it means.” I glanced inside the box. “Those rings seem to be paired together, but that’s all I know.”
Qinglong began pacing, muttering under his breath. “What were you up to, Constance?”
Xuanwu watched his brother nervously. “We now have two puzzles to solve. The flower and the Spear,” he said, turning back to me. “Could you call up your Spear, please?”
“I already tried. Nothing happened.”
“Humor me, please,” he said, obviously anxious about something. I obliged, calling the Spear of Destiny into my hand. I thumped it into the ground and held the card up beside it. Qinglong rushed over, and the three of them marveled at it with awed looks. “What do you see, Ryuu? What do you feel?” Xuanwu asked.
Ryuu leaned closer, shooting me a questioning look. I nodded, leaning the tip of the Spear closer to him. He studied the card for a few moments, comparing it to the break marks in the Spear. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After a few moments, he reached out with a finger and gently touched the tip of the Spear. The haft abruptly became warm in my grip and I tensed. I held my breath nervously, fearing an explosion or something, but it did not grow hotter. Ryuu opened his eyes and pulled his hand back with a puzzled frown. The haft instantly cooled. I switched hands, studying my palm nervously, but there was no pain or damage.
“That…doesn’t make any sense,” Ryuu finally said, resting his hand on the hilt of the warped blade rather than his black blade. Xuanwu took note of that, looking thoughtful—as if Ryuu’s action had just confirmed something else.
I glared at the two of them. “Start talking or I start stabbing. What doesn’t make sense, Spear Whisperer?”
Xuanwu let out a shuddering breath, his eyes twinkling with excitement as he waited for Ryuu to answer. The ninja didn’t look pleased about his nickname. In fact, he looked slightly embarrassed. “I can read auras, and that blade was meant to heal, not harm,” he said, firmly. “It is not a weapon.”
I frowned doubtfully. “That seems like a stretch. Anything can be a weapon. It has a pointy end, so it can stab people. That makes it a weapon.”
Ryuu shook his head. “Anything can be a weapon, that is true. But I can tell if it is supposed to be a weapon. If it was originally created to be a weapon. Those hunger for blood. Your Spear does not.” He shrugged, back to looking embarrassed. “To be honest, it has never been a particularly useful trait.”
Qinglong was studying Ryuu and me with an intense look in his eyes. “Except now it is useful. You begin working for the White Rose and, suddenly, your seemingly worthless ability has great significance.”
Xuanwu nodded solemnly. “Agreed.” The three of them turned to study me like I was some creature in a cage that they had never encountered before. Ryuu looked baffled.
“Why are you looking at me? He’s the one who talks to Spears,” I said, pointing the artifact at Ryuu. He gave me a flat, disapproving glare. “All I know is that it stabbed Jesus on the cross, and both Heaven and Hell want it.” I managed to keep my face composed as a fear drifted into my mind. Was this why my mother had hidden me from Heaven and Hell? Because of the Spear?
Xuanwu motioned for me to sit in the nearby chair and settled himself down to the ground as if to calm me. He motioned for me to set the box between us, and I obeyed. Whatever was on his mind seemed to have excited him.
“The Spear of Destiny is bound to your soul, correct?” I nodded. “And this box appeared only for you, never once for Qinglong in his many years guarding your mother’s laboratory, s
o it is safe to say your presence, or perhaps even the Spear, unlocked it.” I considered his theory and finally nodded. “Which means your mother—the only other person who regularly used this room—wanted you, and only you, to find this box. She considered the contents of this box so important that she did not tell a single soul, not even Qinglong. And I think I know why,” he said, staring at the open box.
I had been nodding along, already having surmised that my mother had left it for me—obviously—until he’d mentioned knowing why.
Xuanwu lifted his palm to reveal his fiery lotus. “We found this fire lotus the day our sisters disappeared, and I have carried it ever since,” he explained, tapping a leather pouch on his belt. “I’ve never seen another like it nor heard of anyone else seeing anything like it. Yet last night, I felt it burst into flame for the first time—the same time you opened this box and found a fire lotus of your own.” I stiffened, my eyes widening. “I think your mother was trying to tell you how to find them,” he said, his voice barely a whisper, and that whisper was brimming with hope. “And it has something to do with your Spear. One we just learned is a tool for healing. A tool for help rather than harm. Perhaps it is a tool for salvation, which would make perfect sense, all things considered,” he added meaningfully. Because Jesus had died on the cross for our sins—for our salvation.
But…Xuanwu wasn’t Christian. He was a god himself, which meant his sisters were also gods. What did any of this have to do with Heaven and Hell wanting the Spear?
I realized I was still holding the metal card in my hand. I glanced down at it. “If you’re right, her map is incredibly unhelpful,” I said, softly.
Xuanwu nodded sagely. “That is the puzzle I was referring to.”
Qinglong glanced about the lab, sniffing at the air. “Your mother knew her fair share of secrets, and it wouldn’t be the first time she pulled a fast one on me. If she would have told me anything about my sisters, I would have abandoned everything to find them, leaving this place unprotected,” he said, only with a slight twinge of shame. He turned to study the box. “That was definitely hers. Everything inside has her scent. She knew how I would react, and that our sisters wouldn’t have a chance without the Spear. Without you,” he amended. Then he smiled, excitedly. “They must be alive. This is almost proof, or she wouldn’t have bothered setting all this up!” Then he slithered over to Xuanwu and wrapped him up in a tight hug. “They’re alive, brother! Our sisters are alive!”
His excitement only served to make me more stressed out. There was absolutely no guarantee that they were alive. And even if they were, I had absolutely no idea where they were. Our only clues were the two lotus blossoms, the shitty map, and the three sets of rings.
I stared down at the metal card, shaking my head. “What are you trying to tell me, mom?” I whispered, ignoring the concerned look on Ryuu’s face. Pity would not help me find them.
But I’d found another reason to pester an angel—to ask what was so important about the Spear of Destiny. I looked up at the two Divines. “This stays here. Do not tell Samael. If my mother had wanted him to know, she would have told him. For whatever reason, she kept this secret above all others, refusing to even draw a map that was too easy to read,” I said, holding up the card. “As well hidden as this was, if she’d thought it was safe, she would have written down the answer inside. Let me handle Samael, but I’ve got a few other leads, first. Deal?”
The two Divines looked slightly crestfallen, and I was suddenly glad I’d warned them, because it was obvious they had intended to share the good news with Samael. I didn’t have a reason not to trust him, but my mother obviously thought her secret box wasn’t secret enough.
They agreed, only slightly deflated.
“Good. I’m going to get some food and rest. Go ahead and join them tonight, Ryuu. I promise not to leave my rooms, if it makes you feel better.”
He didn’t confirm or deny, which was fine. I really was done for the day. But tomorrow morning was another matter entirely, and that I did want to keep secret.
12
I had woken up an hour before sunrise—using the clock on my phone since looking outside the window at eternal darkness was entirely unhelpful—to tell Sanguina my plan about summoning Archangel Michael. As I tugged on my white training gear, I listed the ingredients I would need for the summoning ritual. She knew Castle Dracula like the back of her paw, so she could help me find what I needed without raising a fuss.
She’d stared at me, scathingly, for about one full minute, until I wondered if she hadn’t entirely woken up yet. “That is an incredibly stupid plan.”
I frowned. “I didn’t ask for your commentary, I asked for your help,” I growled.
“No.”
I narrowed my eyes, realizing that arguing wasn’t going to get me any closer to my goal. “Why not?”
She hesitated. “Would my reason change your mind?”
I shrugged. “I doubt it. I need answers only an archangel can give, and Michael is the only one I know. It’s better than summoning Legion.”
She lowered her gaze. “What if I told you that my powers will be useless against the forces of Heaven or Hell?” she asked, softly, looking surprisingly embarrassed.
I stiffened in surprise. “What?” I hissed. “Since when?” This was not good. I’d been hoping she could help me vaporize Legion and his boss or something. Damn it.
“I do not make the rules, so I do not know the answer. Our powers cancel each other out in a direct conflict—resulting in a stalemate. It would be a physical fight, which I am ill equipped for,” she said, indicating her tiny foxy frame.
“Is this just about archangels and archdemons?” I asked anxiously. Something about this news nagged at me, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. It seemed that neither of us were protected from Heaven and Hell, but at least she was immune to their wrath.
Her tail twitched violently, her embarrassment turning to anger. “All angels and demons. Why do you think Dracula was forced to chain up Lilith?”
I shook my head in disbelief. “But Lilith was terrified of you.”
Sanguina growled. “Now you know the value of reputation. Perhaps she did not know this fact, but I fear an archangel might.”
“Does Samael know?” I asked. He was a Greater Demon—slightly lower than an archangel or archdemon. If he knew, I would bet my ass that Michael knew.
She shot me a grim look. “It is not something that comes up in idle conversation. Also, I don’t do idle conversation,” she growled.
I studied her thoughtfully. The benefit to bringing her was the fear factor—keeping Michael honest and wary. But if he saw my sidekick as…impotent. That wouldn’t be good at all. Now that I thought about it, she was also a symbol of my new job—Dracula. That achievement would not likely earn me any gold haloes for my Biblical report card from Principal Michael.
“Then…you can’t go with me,” I said, softly. Sanguina’s ears wilted and I felt a flash of sympathy for the little monster. “But you do know how to keep Castle Dracula safe. I need that just as much as I need answers about Legion and my Spear. Hell, maybe you can solve the rebel problem for me while I’m away,” I said, smiling encouragingly.
She slowly glanced up at me, looking thoughtful. “I could try to find the rebels and make a shrine of their fresh corpses in the Eternal Gardens.” I nodded uneasily. At least she sounded slightly uplifted—if a tad eager and excessively gruesome. “Although they have proven rather elusive so far.”
It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to work. “It will be fine. Now, about those ingredients?”
She sneezed, shaking her head so that her ears flapped loudly. “Why waste your time with a bag of strange, complicated ingredients and excessive hand flailing when the Omegabet has a rune for summoning archangels and archdemons?”
I blinked. “You’re kidding. Your rune will bypass the freaking ritual? That means anyone could use it.”
She nodded. “Hence the dan
gers of the Omegabet—much of it is effort-free magic. Big magic.”
I nodded uneasily, foreseeing the damage such power could cause. “And you know the proper rune?”
Instead of answering, she closed her eyes and I felt an image flare into my mind—a very curious symbol that seemed too complicated and specific for someone to accidentally doodle on their notebook. “Drawing it will do nothing,” Sanguina said, dryly, reading my mind. “However, drawing it in your own blood, and then saying the name of an archangel or archdemon will summon them. The consequences are entirely on you. The rune is not…protective. Safety is for wizards. The Omegabet is for winners,” she said, haughtily.
I nodded soberly. If Michael didn’t like my little summoning, he could rip me in half. I envisioned the symbol, seeing it in perfect clarity. “Just his name. None of his titles or anything?” I’d had to use a handful of titles with my original ritual.
Sanguina considered my question. “Yes, but make sure you say the right name, of course. Don’t just say archangel, for example, or you might summon all of the archangels—or the wrong archangel.” She eyed me askance, not looking very confident in my abilities. “Perhaps I should come with you—”
“No. If they don’t already know about your powers cancelling each other out, I don’t want them learning it today.” I glanced around the room, verifying that I had everything I needed. I knew Ryuu would be coming in less than an hour to take me to our daily training, and I didn’t want him panicking when he saw me gone.
I scribbled a quick note on a scratch pad.
Went to grab some breakfast at an old favorite coffee shop in the city. Will meet you at Xuanwu’s house at our usual time.
I set the note on top of my pillow where it would be easy for Ryuu to see. Hopefully I would be finished before he had time to catch me in the lie. Last night, I’d promised him I wouldn’t leave my rooms all night. Except now, it was technically morning.
Anghellic: Feathers and Fire Book 8 Page 7