Kingston straightened, swallowing back whatever he was going to say. It was clear, he was struggling. His team had just been injured. The city was crumbling. The Order was stretched too thin. Now this.
“Kingston, do me a favor. Inform the High Guardians. Come up with a plan. You, better than anyone, know what crawls the city streets. Contingency plans are needed now that we don’t have witches to help us. I want you to take the lead in protecting the city. Take what you need, guardians, armaments.”
Kingston bowed to the High Mother and quickly left. An order had been given and the High Guardian would see it through. Will was surprised at the decision. He would have guessed Jarron or Caleb appointed for the task.
Isabel was watching him. She could be reading his thoughts. He hadn’t bothered to block himself, much like Isabel hadn’t bothered with the guardian’s mask. It seemed pointless to him. He had nothing to hide from The Order.
Isabel gave him a tight smile. “Kingston is the best choice.” She was nodding as she watched him exit the library. “I am weary, Will. Even at my age, this is more than I have ever had to endure. My people could be extinguished in a blink of an eye.” She looked up as if in prayer.
“Aren’t you the one who always tells your people not to lose hope?” He said warmly to her. “You need to listen to your own advice, High Mother.”
“Perhaps. But I have never liked being told what to do. Even if the words are my own.”
“What can I do to ease some of your fears?” He straightened, prepared to extend whatever help he could provide.
“Pray for us, Will. I am hoping an angel’s prayer will be heard like a song amongst the rumble of human pleadings.”
Was the High Mother correct? Could he call upon the help they needed? “I will do my best, High Mother.”
“What about Wandalerius? Is he committed to our cause?” she asked.
“Completely.” Wanda may have seemed small and helpless, but the old man was one of the most powerful beings Will had come across in his lifetime.
“Good. Maybe the odds are not so bad after all.” She blew out. She turned to him and clasped his hand. “Thank you, Will. I am grateful for everything you have done to help us.”
“You almost sound like you’re saying goodbye.” He quirked a brow.
She smiled tightly. “I know I gave everyone a fright recently, but no need to worry, Will. I am here till the end. But one can never say enough thanks. And doing so reminds me of what we have.” Isabel took a deep breath, “I do need to ask you for one more thing.”
“Name it.”
“Wandalerius. I know he has been helping you search for Elysa, but I need his assistance. The city is under some type of spell, an enchantment. The Sisters have not been able to figure out how to lift it. It keeps the people blind to what is really going on.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I was hoping the Grand Sorcerer could figure out how to undo this toxin. If the humans could see what is happening… we might have a chance. They may fight with us.”
“You don’t worry the people will turn against us? Against the Others?”
“The Others have stayed hidden as best as they can. Some of the clan leaders have contacted me. Their numbers are too few. They will remain in the shadows. How can I fault them?”
“… they have more to lose by staying complacent.” he interrupted. Frustrated, he looked away from the Elder. The Others will not help, and so their numbers continue to suffer.
“When Phoebe, the Ancient One, was here. She told me I had to gather our people. That we had to come together with the humans if we were to have a chance at this war.” Isabel scoffed. “I argued with her…” She was shaking her head, “I could not think beyond my decades of learning. I could not see beyond what I knew. It was the human race who cursed the Forefathers. It is only by our divine covenant with the Creator that we do what we do.” She stood from her seat, and walked toward the small fireplace in the library. Her hands were trembling. “My pride, Will. I was blinded by my pride. In my mind, in my heart, we fight, and we protect because it is the Creator’s will. It is not because of our love of humans. For so many generations, our people… My people have died too young fighting to save humanity from darkness…” Tears fell from Isabel’s eyes as she turned to him. “And for what?”
Will looked at the High Mother in a new light. As leader of The Order and of her people, she bore the mantle of strength and confidence. When beneath, the woman was crumbling.
“Humans continue to give themselves over to darkness willingly. They destroy themselves despite our efforts to save them. And like Sisyphus, we continue to toil at an unending task to protect them.”
“The Order and the Watchers, your people, have saved countless lives. It is because of your people’s work that the balance between light and dark still exist.” His tone came out strong. Though his alliance with the Anakim was new, he’d always watched their activities from afar. They were good people. “What about now, High Mother? Where do you stand in this fight? Does your pride still blind you?”
“Now, I am seeing anew. Now, I am humbled. Our people were chosen to serve the Creator. We are born with purpose. And that is to help his greatest creation, the humans. It is a privilege. It doesn’t make the Anakim better. We were simply chosen.”
Will nodded understanding Isabel. They were all chosen. Placed in a desperate situation to try and do what they could.
“And now the tides have turned. It is the Anakim who need help. Though I know our people are strong. I know we cannot continue to survive without help.” She twined her fingers together, and held them to her chest, “We need the humans on our side. They must wake from their enchantment.” She straightened her shoulders, though the weariness remained heavy on her face. “That is my prayer, Will. That the humans come to our aide. It will be a miracle, but that is my prayer.”
He nodded. There was really nothing more to say. If the humans, even a fraction of them, were to fight on the side of the Anakim, it could turn the tides of war. “I appreciate you asking me first about Wanda,” he started, “but Wanda is his own man. You will have to ask him. I wouldn’t dare speak for that feisty sorcerer.”
“Thank you, Will. I know your search for Elysa is equally important.”
“And I’ll find her. We’ll get her back. Get your city back.” He thought back to what Wanda had been saying. They needed to adjust. Change their strategy. Ellie needed to be found, but they also had a city, and a population, to save. The High Mother was an incredible woman. Will understood why she was chosen to lead. He had no doubts she would do what was needed to ensure her people’s survival.
The demons could not win this war.
Chapter Twenty Seven
January 28th, The Order’s estate
A soft rap on her door roused her from meditation. She breathed in deeply and let out her breath in measured slowness. After her conversation with Will, Isabel needed time to center herself to calm the rumblings in her soul. She opened her eyes, her vision slowly coming into focus as all her earthly senses came back to full alertness. “Come in,” she called out, but she remained seated on the square silk pillow on the floor.
Wanda entered, his friendly smile always present. “Lady Isabel, Will said you called for me?”
Isabel uncrossed her legs from her lotus position, and came to an effortless stand. She could still feel the energies swirling through her limbs from the meditative state she’d just left. “Thank you for coming.” She led Wanda to her favorite spot in the library, the couch in front of the fireplace. She gestured for him to sit as she placed another log in the fire.
“What is troubling you, High Mother?”
She dipped her head wanting to collect herself before speaking.
“May I be so bold as to ask you a question, Lady Isabel?” Wanda started.
She raised her head and looked at the kindly old man and nodded.
“I have noticed that unlike your guardians, you hardly ever don the guardian’s ma
sk. Why?” Wanda sat patiently, his crooked framed making him look uncomfortable.
She took a deep breath before starting. “I have decided that I am too old to hide what I feel and what I think. The mask is more of a tool for me now, rather than something that automatically comes on in times of stress.” She turned her gaze toward the fire, the added log was burning crisply, the timbers providing the crackling sound she loved to hear. “I no longer wish to hide. I am going through an awakening.” She scoffed as she looked back up at the old man. “All this time, I thought my eyes were wide open. That I knew the secrets of the universe. We are one of secrets after all.”
Wanda chuckled softly. “Yes. We are. A great big one.”
“But now, I am having to let go of everything I once thought was wrong. Even some of the things I knew to be right.”
Wanda nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming with understanding. It encouraged her to keep talking.
“When the Ancient One was here.”
“Phoebe?” Wanda confirmed.
“Yes. When Phoebe was here, she inhabited my body for a time.”
“She did?” Wanda asked.
She nodded. “Most of the time, I felt like she was suppressing me. Holding me back. Defying me. Challenging me.” She let out a breath. “I fought her. I was not going to be denied. She kept telling me that she was helping me, making me strong, but…” she shook her head, recalling the utter lack of control she felt while Phoebe was in her vessel, “… all I felt was weakness. Distance. Silence. Loneliness.”
Wanda reached for her hand like a doting father.
“I asked Phoebe to leave me and to leave The Order.” Isabel locked eyes with Wanda. She had not admitted that to anyone, till now. Even after Phoebe’s help with Elysa, Isabel did not want her at the estate. She couldn’t get herself to open up and trust Phoebe, an ancestor. The ancient had been cryptic about everything, refusing to provide straight answers. Isabel didn’t need that, and she didn’t want that around her people. There was already too much fear and anxiety.
“You say Phoebe inhabited you?” Wanda asked softly.
She nodded somewhat surprised Wanda didn’t ask about Phoebe being made to leave. “She said she was protecting me and that my vessel’s strength was also strengthening her.”
Wanda started nodding. “Yes, I see.” The old man’s eyes twinkled as he studied her with more interest. “How did you feel when the Ancient vacated your vessel.” Wanda reached for her neck, cupping one side of her jaw as he pried the opposite-side eye wide open. He was inspecting her.
Normally, Isabel would not have allowed such a thing, but the sorcerer had such a gentle demeanor about him, she hardly registered what he was doing until he was finished.
He pulled back and urged her to go on about Phoebe. “After Phoebe left, I regained my physical strength, but I felt empty and devoid of my essence. I felt lost.” She stood and stepped toward the fire. “Poor Anya and High Priestess Samantha took up my care. They would not leave my side. Eventually, pieces of myself started to come back, but different.”
“Explain.”
“My awakening. It was as if I got a washing, and my essence was clear again. I feel open.”
“But yet you are still weary.”
“Very much so and that’s why I humbly ask for your help.”
Wanda nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners as a smile spread on his thin lips. “All you have to do is ask, High Mother.”
“Will you help us break the spell hanging over the city?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, dear friend.”
Wanda was eyeing her as he reached to cup her hand again. “I sense there is something else you want to ask me?”
“Elysa is in trouble. Turned into something we have no knowledge of. This cannot be the end for her.” Her heart twinged at the thought of Elysa. The Order had watched Elysa grow up, making sure she was safe from danger. Her mother, Sarah, wanted to raise Elysa as a normal child, and away from the burdens of the Anakim. But then Sarah disappeared, and they had not been aware of Will’s existence. The Order continued to watch over her, but kept their distance in honor of Sarah’s wishes.
But then, Abigail had suggested that Elysa be contacted. To reveal to her her true lineage, and her purpose. Isabel closed her eyes as the vein in her neck twitched at the mere mention of Abigail’s name. She recalled fighting the Council against the proposal. She wanted to honor Sarah’s wishes to give her child a normal life. The debate went on for hours, but in the end, the other six members felt that it was best for Elysa to be contacted. The battles were escalating, and signs of various prophecies were beginning to emerge. As stewards to their respective communities, the Council felt it was in the best interest of the many to break a promise to one.
“Elysa is a complete mystery.” Wanda looked contemplative. “Elysa is part witch, part Anakim, part Dark One, and part human. Her blood is strong, powerful. To have been turned a spawn is unfathomable and yet we know it to be true. Even now, that neither Will nor I can locate her is a wonder.” He sighed. “A mystery indeed.”
“Phoebe said there was a way to restore her.” Isabel added quickly. Regret bit her now. Had she been more accommodating to the Ancient, maybe she could be helping them now. But Phoebe was gone, and if there was anyone else who could help, it would be Wanda. “Wanda please, if there is a way, we must seek it.”
“What did Phoebe share with you, Lady Isabel?”
“Soul Catcher. She said a soul catcher was needed. Phoebe told me that when she inhabited Elysa’s vessel to control her, that she could still feel a spark of Elysa’s essence within. A tiny speck, but enough that Baal does not have complete control of her.”
“Ah. Baal has consumed perhaps 99% of Elysa’s essence, but the 1% that remains gives her a chance.”
“Do you know what we must do?”
Wanda was rubbing his forehead, his eyes tightly closed. “Do you trust the Ancient One?”
Isabel needed to be honest with Wanda. “No. I don’t. There’s a part of me that regrets asking her to leave, but there’s another part that tells me I did right. I cannot shake that feeling.”
Wanda was thinking, looking contemplative. “The time will come when you will have to ask for her help. We are outnumbered, outpowered, and outknowledged. Phoebe is not an easy Being to understand, let alone to feel comfort around. She is a warrior. Her first instincts are about defense.”
“Do you trust her, Wanda?” Her heart stilled, waiting for the wise man to respond.
“I know the Ancient One has been alone for many, many years. Longer than any Being should be. Rumors have circulated about her meanderings and her quest. She is searching for something.”
“What?”
“Only Phoebe can answer that.” Wanda let out a sigh. “The Ancient One had never given me reason to be suspicious, but I have also never had to work with the Ancient One. Our paths have come close to each other, but never crossed.”
“Do you have doubts about the soul catcher? The information?” Isabel was trying to temper her worry. The soul catcher was the best lead they had. The only lead. If Phoebe’s information is incorrect, all hope may be lost for Elysa.
“I must consult my books before I can answer you.” Her new friend rose slowly, his frame remaining bent as he stood, and ambled slowly back to the door. “I will work with Grim. I will be back.” He patted her hand before leaving the office.
The sorcerer took a few steps in the hallway before a loud pop resounded and he morphed into his owl form. He hooted, the crisp whistle echoing along the pristine hallway as he flew swiftly toward the foyer, and beyond Isabel’s sight.
Hours passed and it was near midnight before Wanda sought her out excitedly. The old man was out of breath by the time he had located her in the lab. “High Mother, High Mother,” he called out as he held on to his large grimoire with both arms. “Grim and I have found it.”
She walked up to Wanda, and led him to a nearby table
. She pulled out a wooden stool for him, and waited for him to settle in.
“We found it, High Mother.” He opened up his grimoire to a marked page, quickly sliding his finger down to a passage.
She looked over his shoulder, but was unable to read the beautiful handwritten text. “What does it say?”
“This was a story recollected to me many centuries ago. I had forgotten about it. It was before I had been gifted with immortality by the Beings of Light. This story came to me when I was still in my realm amongst my kind.”
Isabel quirked her head in interest. She had assumed Wanda was like the Others including the Anakim. Mostly human, but gifted with something extra in their genetics. She had not suspected that he was from another realm.
“My realm is filled with magick and supernatural beings. Magick is normal. An everyday part of living. But otherwise, it is much like Earth. I am ‘human’, but from another place.” He smiled. “This story was told by another sorcerer I had been studying with in my youth.” Wanda looked down at the page, and held his fingertip to the passage and read, “The child had been acting strangely. The child seemed like a different person to his parents. They asked for my assistance. I attempted every spell and every invocation I knew of to no avail. And then I remembered, an old witch who knew of other magick. I chanced meeting with her in an effort to save the boy. Though she was not fond of sorcerers, she agreed to come for the sake of the child. She cast a dark spell over the boy, one I would have never invoked, but she found the answer.” Wanda looked at her, but the smile was gone. Instead, darkness shadowed his eyes.
“What is it, Wanda? Please continue.”
Wanda cleared his throat and read again, “The witch danced around in glee, her triumph at finding the trouble making her boastful and malicious. I urged her to tell me the problem so that I may fix it. I begged her for the answer, even as the boy rampaged in the cottage, hurting himself and his parents.” Wanda paused a moment, “I pleaded with the hag on bent knees and promised her servitude if she would tell me the answer. Finally, and with a contract of the terms of my servitude signed in my blood, she told me that the boy had been turned to a spawn.”
Midnight Rain Page 18