Chapter Thirty Eight
January 31st, Bimini Island
“Fawna!” It was Dex.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Pa! Here. Mariana is hurt!”
Dex came running. The heavy trudge of his steps shaking the floor beneath her. He burst into the kitchen, his big body occupying the doorway.
“Ay, dios mio. ¿Qué diablos está pasando aquí?” The words rolled out like one big long word. He only spoke Spanish when he was really upset. He got down on the floor, bending down on one knee to examine the Elder. He placed a hand on Mariana’s forehead, and closed his eyes. “She will be okay.” He sighed with relief and slid his arms underneath the Elder. “Fawna. Down the hallway, there is an extra room.”
Fawna ran down the hallway, opened the door to another bedroom, and turned down the bed covered in a white quilted coverlet with scalloped edges. The room was small and cozy with flowered wallpaper and fresh flowers on the nightstands.
Dex came in carrying Mariana, and placed her carefully on the bed. “Get some water, and a towel. We need to check the cut on her head.”
About to leave the room, Fawna heard sirens nearing. She looked at Dex, suddenly worried at the decision she had made. “I called Emergency.”
He stood, wiped his hands on his pants quickly as he looked toward the hallway. “I’ll talk to them. You stay here. What happened?”
“Bat…”
Dex hurried out before she could finish.
She could hear him talking with two people. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, only that Dex sounded excited. Nervous. After a few minutes Dex came back, looking uncomfortable. “They’re gone.”
“What did you say?”
“I told them you panicked when you saw an island bat, and fell on the floor. Hit your nalgas, hard.”
“They believed you?”
“I think so. And besides they had another call. I told them you were fine. We cannot have humans here. It is too dangerous,” Dex stated.
She nodded. Pa was right, of course. She shouldn’t have called Emergency for help. She panicked. The Others kept to themselves, their abilities better guarded amongst their own. She hadn’t been thinking. How would they have explained the mess in the kitchen? Scolding her stupidity, she left Dex with Mariana to fetch water and a washcloth. Still lost within her doubts, she took a plastic pitcher sitting on a countertop and placed it under the faucet. The pitcher dropped from her hand, bouncing loudly in the ceramic sink. Cool water ran over her arm and down her hand. She pulled back, upset at her clumsiness. Frustrated, she fumbled with the pitcher.
Water filled the pitcher as she examined her hands. They looked no different. What the hell happened earlier? What was that light? That power? She curled her fingers as if the balls of energy had reappeared in her palms. She shook her head, “Of course. Nothing. I can’t do anything right.” She lifted the pitcher from the sink, stuffed a small glass into her shirt pocket, and pulled out a washcloth from one of the drawers. She returned to her father praying for Mariana’s recovery.
Dex had Mariana sitting up in bed. She was coming to, her lids quivering open.
“Fawna.” She coughed. Fawna set down the pitcher of water on the nightstand, and sat next to the Elder. “Are you hurt?” Mariana’s voice was barely a whisper.
“I’m fine. Thanks to you. Here, drink some water.” Fawna reached for the pitcher she had been carrying, and lifted the small glass out of her pocket. She cupped the glass tipping an edge onto Mariana’s lips. The Elder drank eagerly.
Mariana swallowed. “Dex. There was a familiar, and a demon here.” Mariana’s voice was shaking, making her sound older. “My magick was not enough to fend them off.”
“What happened?” Dex asked, his face warped in worry as he looked from the Elder and then to Fawna.
“The bat. A familiar came first. It seemed to be scouting, looking for something or maybe someone. I managed to get it to follow me in the kitchen.” Mariana looked at Fawna. “I heard Fawna arrive, but the demon had appeared then, and had a hold of me. I couldn’t call out.”
“What kind was it?” Dex’ brows were deeply furrowed.
“Shadow. A wraith.” The Elder crossed shaking arms over her abdomen. “The demon was trying to suck out my soul.” Mariana reached for Fawna’s hand and held it, “Fawna kept calling out for me. I could feel her energy pulsing towards me, and I knew she would find me.”
Fawna looked down, trying to recall the events herself.
“The demon let me go, just as Fawna entered the kitchen, and that damned bat came back. The bat was the demon’s familiar. I’m sure of it.”
“I think the Raven fought it outside. I couldn’t see exactly what was going on, but he helped us,” Fawna added.
Dex seemed to grow where he stood. The natural protectiveness of her father instantly flaring his elemental gift of fire. Heat came off of him in waves. “Has Will arrived?” he asked.
“I told you before. We cannot find him,” groaned the older woman.
“No. The Raven knows him. The bird was Will’s familiar.” Dex insisted as he pointed a thick finger out the door, “That. Is. Will’s. Daughter.”
Fawna’s jaw dropped.
Mariana sat up straighter, the look on her face both surprised and confused. She shifted, her movement stiff trying to get a better look at Dex. “Did I hear you correctly?”
Dex nodded, shaking thick black hair around his head. “Will is coming. I asked the bird to send a message to him.”
Fawna closed her eyes, trembling hands automatically reaching for the pendant. The calm she always felt from the shard of black crystal felt different. Stronger. The crystal gave her more than calm this time. She turned her head, away from Dex and Mariana, wanting to focus on the energy the shard seemed to be amplifying. She breathed deeply, charged with connections to her surroundings. Making her keenly aware, as if she could hear every matter buzzing with life. She felt dizzy, dazed with the heightened ‘new’ energies.
“It’s okay, Mi Fuego. Help is coming.” Dex, unaware of her new problems, tried to comfort her.
Will can’t help with my problem. Her hands were heating, the pulse of light flickering like a bad light bulb beneath her skin. She quickly sat on her hands, hiding them from Dex and Mariana. Her powers had always been unique on the island. Dex and Sabine had guided her growth up until now. Mixing potions, teas, and scanning for energies was one thing. She really didn’t need to use much of her abilities. A lot of what she’d learned was more mental learning than anything.
What happened earlier was completely different. She had no control of her abilities. It was as if fear had woken up a weapon inside of her. A weapon she didn’t know how to use. Dearest creators she wished she had someone who understood what was happening. For once in her life, she longed for someone with the same powers of light. Someone who could guide her. Teach her. Someone like… biological family.
“Will is coming,” Dex reassured. “He will help us.”
“Yes, Papa,” she muttered.
Chapter Thirty Nine
January 31st, The Order’s estate
Jarron waited for Caleb’s arrival. The High Guardians along with other members of the estate were being summoned to the Elder’s Chamber. Isabel was calling for another meeting.
Caleb drove into Level 3’s garage bay “Isabel is calling a meeting.” Jarron announced as soon as his friend exited the car.
Caleb ran a hand through his dark hair. His blue eyes seeming lit from within.
“How’s Katcher?” Jarron asked.
“She’s intense. She’s ready. She’d already mapped out the city even before I took her around.” Caleb’s smile was worrisome.
“Is there anything I need to know?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“She’s almost as good as you with a sword.” Caleb’s smile grew wider. “She’s fond of you.”
Jarron scoffed, “Yeah, time together in the Nether will do that.”
“What’s the meeting about?” Caleb asked.
“Isabel wants to speak to everyone at once.”
Caleb’s mood grew serious instantly. “This can’t be good.”
He focused on the hallway ahead of them, tuning out everything else. The crowds were thinning as they neared the Elder’s Chamber. The chamber doors were wide open. Mixed voices leaked out into the hallway.
The heavy double doors of the chamber closed as soon as they stepped over the threshold. Isabel sat in the center of the omega shaped dais. On either side of her were Pater and Edward. They all stood up to call attention to the start of the meeting. Their wise faces, solemn.
Everyone quieted immediately.
The two elder men sat, but Isabel remained standing. Her steely gaze swept the room. She seemed to stand straighter as she looked upon him, a reserved smile softening her expression. “We have received important news.”
She hardly used the guardian’s mask anymore. The mask was a learned skill. One of the first taught to all guardians. The mask hid all emotions during battle or times of duress. It was a skill that became innately part of a guardian’s countenance. The High Mother hardly used it of late, choosing to let her emotions be known to all. Jarron found it refreshing. His mother was adapting as she always did. The mask no longer served her purpose, and it would be discarded.
“An old acquaintance has contacted me. There is trouble in Bimini. She has asked for our assistance.” Isabel announced.
“Our numbers cannot handle further burdens,” Kingston spoke up. “The Guardians are stretched thin. We are taking a beating each time we leave these halls.” He stood from his seat.
Jarron watched intently. Kingston, let all his frustrations show. No guardian’s mask there, either.
“There will be no one left when the real battles begin.” He lowered his voice, though a growl still vibrated the delivery. Kingston had been leading most of the missions in the city. He knew better than any of the guardians how badly things have gotten.
“Allow Will to speak.” Isabel responded. She directed her gaze to Will who came up to the front of the room.
Will seemed anxious. He bent his neck to the side popping a tendon before starting. “My old familiar has communicated with me.” He cleared his throat, and locked his gaze onto Sarah. “He has sent me a vision of Ellie.”
Sarah rose from her seat, fingers curling around the chair in front of her. Her lovely face lit with hope.
Will gave her a tight smile. “He has also shown me images of Bimini.”
Sarah seemed to deflate, her shoulders sagging as she looked down on the floor, her beautiful face losing its light--going pale.
A disconnected chorus of murmurings erupted. Jarron’s heart beat too loud in his ears to hear anything clearly. He wanted to rush to Will. He had so many questions. Where is Ellie? How is she? Is she safe? What about Baal? Why had Bimini become important suddenly?
“It cannot be coincidence that my acquaintance has asked for help, and she is located in Bimini,” Isabel announced, the tone of her voice commanding attention. Everyone quieted. “I want a team assembled to go to the island.” Her eyes darted to Kingston. “The guardians will remain in the city.”
“I’m requesting to join the mission in Bimini.” Jarron’s jaw was twitching, his pulse racing. He wasn’t used to asking for permission. As a High Guardian, he was in charge of his own unit. He was used to making his own decisions. But this was different. Times were different.
“No. All guardians are needed here.” Isabel was not leaving room for discussion.
Jarron. He turned slightly to his left, looking for the source of the voice. Jarron. The whisper made his heart stop. It was Ellie, he was sure of it. But her energy and her thoughts were not present. He shook it off, but sent out his light to scan the room wanting to be sure.
“Jarron.” Isabel’s voice was soft. “Son, is something the matter?”
His light had returned almost immediately. Ellie was not there. Everyone was watching him. Caleb and Kingston were both studying him, their concerns obvious. Had he been hallucinating? He needed sleep. That’s all it was. He shook it off, giving a small bow to the High Mother.
“Will. Take your team to Bimini. Find your familiar. See if Elysa can be located.” Isabel restarted as if nothing happened, deflecting the attention from him and back to what was important, locating Ellie. “I want all the guardians in the city. Kingston has the lead.” Isabel continued. “Will has Bimini.”
Jarron connected telepathically with Kingston. His friend had asked for his help earlier. A small group was being assembled to scout the dead zone. It was purely reconnaissance based on tips that Baal would be present. If you still want my help. I won’t fail you.
Our mission is dangerous. If our information is correct about Baal, there will be more demons roaming the dead zone. Kingston replied in his mind. I need your complete focus.
You have my word. He had made a promise to Kingston and he had almost lost sight of that. The dead zone mission was equally important.
He may not be able to get to Ellie, but he could get to Baal.
***
He stared at the blade, taking careful measures to return the sword of Archangel Michael back in its place in the armory. He could no longer use it. The saber had been his weapon, but with Will’s confirmation that the blade had been actually graced by the Great Angel, it was no longer a mere weapon. It became an important artifact. He would take another. If things went south, the sword could be The Order’s last stand against the demons.
Kingston was right. There was too much going on. His duty was to protect the city. Will was the best suited to find Ellie, and he had to accept that. Every guardian needed to be on task. He’d made promises he intended to keep. He couldn’t fail.
They need allies. Powerful ones. Will had asked him to go back to Sapientia house and seek out Misha. Having the witch on their side would renew everyone’s waning spirits.
Will told him to return, but he had no idea how to call Misha. An Air Strong Anakim like Caleb or Brooks would have been better for that, but he couldn’t wait. Caleb was needed in the outer districts and Brooks was still recovering. For once in all his years of training, planning wasn’t working out. He had to act on his gut’s direction. There was no time to plan anymore. Since the breach, their days and nights had become too unpredictable. The teams were dispersed, and the structures they once thrived on, were gone. The Order had become reactive. They were outnumbered, and the best they could do was slow down the destruction spreading through the city like a slow-moving swarm.
He pulled up to the steps of the Sapientia house. His energetic barrier had been undisturbed since he was last here. With just a thought, the shield thinned and pulled back. Once he entered, and was safe inside, the shields reactivated.
He came prepared with a LED flashlight. The heavy solid stem of the flashlight made of a sturdy metal, making it an effective blunt weapon as well. He depressed a button activating a bright white beam into a large area of the darkened hallway. He recognized the large sitting room where Brooks had rested. Everything was the same. The blankets he had used on Brooks were still strewn on the couch untouched.
He sat down, wanting to connect with the strange energy that had communicated with him and Brooks before. The house was empty. There was no flicker of an energetic pulse nearby. He waited, trying to temper his impatience. Nothing.
He got up, looked around, and headed up the stairs. The flashlight beamed on some framed pictures hanging from the main wall on the second-floor landing. One picture of a woman with large eyes, and long lashes drew him in. It was Anya, The Order’s oracle. He swept the light past the other pictures. There were pictures of a group of women in white dresses, and flower wreaths on their heads. There was another of a woman with long blonde hair. She reminded him of Anya. They had the same large, bright, hypnotic eyes.
A static like energy emerged behind him, making him flinch. He hadn
’t detected it.
He turned, careful in his steps so as not to dissipate the loose, fragile frequency. “Who are you?”
“Misha Ivanov.” Her voice came out broken.
It was the same as before. As if her foothold on this realm was not secure.
Energy lit up behind him, resembling a bright piece of ember. It floated around him until he took a step into the hallway. “Come.” The voice was more stable in this form.
He turned off the flashlight, making the orangey-red flickering ember easier to see in the dark. “Ivanov?” he asked. “How do you know Anya?”
The ember seemed to dance in the air, “She is my niece and my heir.”
Anya was a good friend, but he couldn’t recall her speaking of the Sapientia Coven.
“Prophecy. The twelve.” The ember whispered as it led him to a room at the end of the hallway. The small dancing light floated around an old Victorian bureau resembling Anya’s étagère in the estate’s lab. He opened the bureau doors, the ember flittered in, hovering carefully over a piece of parchment paper. “They are after you, Jarron. You must be careful,” Misha warned.
“Who?”
“Baal.”
Jarron’s stomach dropped. “How do you know this?”
The ember bobbed in the air, the flame within flickering in steady pulses.
“Misha. What do you know?”
The ember brightened, and drifted closer to his face. “I was in the Nether. I found Elysa. Baal was after her. He tricked her mind. Broke her heart many times. He hurt her.”
His heart ached. Anger surfaced.
“Baal pretended to be you.”
Jaws clenched, same as his fists. He remembered the demon taking his form when he had been in the Nether with Will and Katcher.
“You must be careful, Jarron St. Sebastian. Baal is still after you. If he cannot get to you, he will come after your family.”
His fire was rising, its heat licking his heart. “The Order is my family. Why is he doing this?”
“You and your family are a threat to his plans.” Her voice chimed like Anya’s, the echo sounding more ethereal than earthly.
Midnight Rain Page 26