DARK FAÏZ Book 1: Every hero has his legend

by Sandra L. Kiss

  Listening to this speech, I had the impression that he was talking about another person. Indeed, I did not feel imbued with such grace or faith in any way. Quite the contrary.

  "What's to stop The Maestro from killing me, if he's so powerful?"

  "Even dead, the soul remains. That's why he can't kill you. He has to destroy you from the inside. You have to find Gurt and Meriden. They are represented in the Callis as two dogs and are your 'guardian angels.' When we find the tomb and you open it to send Athanasius into the deepest darkness, Gurt and Meriden will go with him to make sure he never escapes."

  "Wait a minute."

  I put my hands in front of me to tell him to slow down a little before adding,

  "How do I find these two dogs? And where in the Callis is the tomb's location mentioned?"

  "The world was not made in one day, Zoe. The divine beings, hidden from the eyes of the world so far, will have to help you so that Athanasius loses his greatness. First, he must be weakened by persuading as many people as possible on this Earth to start believing again in what they cannot see or touch. Only in this way can peace be restored. It is Gurt and Meriden who will find you. As for the traveler's tomb, only you can see the passages in the manuscript. You are connected to the Callis. You are one."

  "How can he take my soul?"

  "By convincing you to give it to him. If the hatred comes from you, then he will have won. You will die, taking with you the last breaths of the world, Zoe. There's no room for the unexpected... Well, if..."

  William stopped talking, as if he had said too much.

  "What wasn't planned?"

  He looked away, thoughtful. I watched him, lost, struggling to believe that he was a celestial creature, a Sylph. He had nothing to do with the Elfs I had seen in my books when I was still a child. Of course, William wasn't wearing tights or playing the flute, either... You're getting lost, there!

  "We have been here for a while. Apparently, someone's getting impatient up there. We must leave," he sighed, probably eager to end the meeting.

  "Did you get a message on your phone? I didn't see you consult him," I said, surprised by his words.

  William laughed, making his eyes sparkle.

  "No, the network does not pass here. We Sylphs can communicate with each other through thoughts, and my brother makes me understand that your dear Faïz is waiting for his Alma Gemela to return to him."

  " 'Alma Gemela,' " I repeated in a low voice.

  The word soulmate in Spanish made me smile gently. William stared at me intensely and let a strange feeling of annoyance appear on his face. I passed in front of him to interrupt this strange moment. Faïz was getting impatient. Was he jealous? My heart was whispering to me to hope while my reason was laughing in his face. William caught up with me, his sweet scent floating in the air. Sylphs, Fairies, superheroes, and…me. If I had been warned of all this a few months before I arrived in Los Angeles, I would have thought it was a big joke. Unfortunately, The Maestro's face still came back to me. The reality was appalling.

  FAÏZ

  Like a lion in a cage, Faïz was pacing to calm his impatience. Julio, sitting in an armchair, followed him with his eyes, exasperated by his attitude. It has been a while since his brother had taken Zoe to the bowels of the earth, and Faïz was not good company today.

  "How is Rachelle?" he asked, amused to provoke him.

  "Why this question?" replied the young man on the defensive.

  Julio knew that Zoe's soul had to remain as pure as possible, without the slightest animosity. However, he was afraid that Faïz's behavior towards her would make things difficult.

  "Tell them to come up," he finally ordered, consumed by jealousy.

  "They're not finished!"

  Faïz's black look would not change anything. He had not intended to give in to this capricious host. Julio had noticed the sudden interest his brother had shown in this young lady as soon as he saw her, and the rumor was that she was a heart to be taken. William, under the spell, had looked at her as if she could be the eighth wonder of the world, and, in a sense, she was. However, his brother loved women, and remained an outstanding seducer in Julio's eyes. Suddenly, a concern grabbed him: what if Zoe hadn't been able to bear to hear the truth, refusing to see the reality of the situation? Worse, if she decided to give up everything and finally listen to Faïz's advice, who wanted her to go back to France?

  "I have things to do!"

  Faïz's growl distracted Julio, immersed in his thoughts.

  "Yeah, like finding Rachelle, for example."

  "Remove that silly smile from your face!" he threatened him.

  "It's the first time I've seen you jealous, and it's actually pleasant."

  "I am not!" fumed Faïz. "Stop with this soulmate thing. It's not a prophecy that's going to tell me what to do or who to love."

  "The divine word does not tell you what to do, it just tells you what will happen. And between the fire of darkness and the light of heaven, the love that this Colossus will bear for the Goddess of the dawn will deliver the people who have denied my name."

  Faïz preferred not to add anything to these words. He looked towards the entrance to the room, watching for Zoe's arrival. Julio decided to contact his brother and ask him to come back.

  Will?

  Is there a problem?

  Faïz asks to see Zoe.

  Why? He's acting like a jerk to her.

  This woman is not for you, so don't start having fun with her!

  I'm not having fun. She's far too sacred for that, and...so different.

  Come! We are waiting for you.

  7

  I was grateful to William for keeping my silence when we returned to the white room where Faïz and Julio were.

  "Are you going to be all right?"

  William held me by the arm before crossing the threshold, an indescribable expression permeating his face. Although his features were severe, his firm hand around my wrist reassured me. My desire to comfort him grew as the seconds passed. It was then that I smiled at him sincerely, and I was happy to see that his face immediately lit up. He, in turn, gave me a dazzling smile before asking me almost timidly,

  "Perhaps we could meet again in another context? Let's say—"

  "We have to go!" Faïz intervened dryly while staring severely at William.

  I hadn't heard him arrive. He had appeared beside us, putting us in an embarrassing position, to say the least.

  "I can bring Zoe back if you're in a hurry," William proposed, defying him.

  Caught unawares, Faïz turned towards me. He put his hands in his pockets, making me understand he wanted me to decline his friend's proposal. What the hell is going on? A cockfight? Wishing to put an end to this delicate situation, I decided to reply as simple as possible.

  "I'm going back with Faïz. It's true that it's getting late, and I still have a lot of homework waiting for me. Sorry about the tea. I'll have it another time."

  William tried as best he could to hide his disappointment while Faïz provoked him with a slightly haughty smile. Although part of me would have appreciated spending more time with William, I still had to work hard. Indeed, the interview for my internship was scheduled for that Monday. At that moment, Julio arrived to relax the electric atmosphere that reigned in the air.

  "You come back when you want, Zoe. The door will always be wide open for you," he told me sincerely.

  "I will," I replied with a sneak peek at William.

  "Thank you both," Faïz said while heading towards the exit.

  He opened the door and waited patiently for me to pass in front. I nodded to our two hosts and headed out, feeling William's heavy gaze on my back. Before crossing the threshold, I noticed that a small gold cross was discreetly hung on the side of the entrance. Then the heavy door closed behind us. We climbed the steep stairs to reach the surface of the earth. The daylight had changed color; the afternoon seemed already well advanced. My phone started ringing immediately, giving me
many notifications of missed calls, unread messages, and new emails to check. I put it in my pocket and decided to take a look at them later. Before I got into the McLaren, I turned around to try to see the mansion, but I could only barely distinguish its shape. The ground seemed to engulf the house. I'd never imagined that such a building could exist. Faïz was checking his phone while waiting for me to get in the car. Once seated, I thought about how the two young men had clashed when we reappeared from the basement of the archives. I was angry with Faïz for his tone, which I considered inappropriate. I was in no way his property. The car started with my playlist in the background.

  We had been driving for several minutes and I still hadn't said a word to Faïz, who seemed uncomfortable. Perhaps he realized the stupidity of the behavior he had had towards William. My father had sent me news by email and was worried about my silence. It was true that with all these recent events, I had completely forgotten to write to him this week. So I started conversation immediately with simple sentences, promising that I would call him by the end of the weekend.

  "A problem?" Faïz finally asked in a calm voice.

  "No. There was no signal at the mansion. I'm just answering my messages."

  "Girls?"

  "Yes, and…my father."

  Indeed, the other messages were from Asarys.

  Beach party tonight. You have no choice, you're coming!

  ??? What the hell are you doing?!!!!

  Asarys and her gift for patience. I couldn't help but look up to heaven before opening David's message.

  Hi! Asarys sent you a message for this evening. Are you coming?

  To avoid being harassed for the next few hours, I began to answer with a common message to my two friends.

  Hi, no, next time. I absolutely have to prepare for Monday and get ahead for the midterms next week.

  My friends' answers were not long in coming, first David, then Asarys.

  Can you come for an hour or two? You're already ahead of schedule on your homework.

  Come on, move it! You don't have a choice, and we're all in the same boat.

  I didn't have the energy to celebrate tonight, but when I was writing my last message, something inside me made me hesitate. I wanted to return to a semblance of reality, with normal human beings, unaware of the future and what would be done tomorrow.

  Okay, what time?

  My friend didn't take long to answer me.

  Eight, in the parking lot near the sports shops.

  I put my phone away and allowed myself to look at Faïz. He was silent, seeming immersed in distant thoughts.

  "Do you often visit Julio and William?"

  He frowned.

  "At the moment, we can say yes. Are you hungry?" He suddenly changed the subject.

  I quickly looked at the time on the dashboard. It was already past two in the afternoon and indeed, my stomach was screaming.

  "Yes. Will we eat in Elora?"

  "First we have to pick up Victoria at LACMA. She went to see an exhibition with a friend this morning. If you'd like, we can all have lunch together somewhere Downtown."

  Suddenly, a Bluetooth call from Rachelle turned off the music. He hesitated for a moment, perhaps out of courtesy or fear of seeing the situation escape him.

  "Answer! Maybe there's a problem," I encouraged him by taking it upon myself.

  He did so while giving me a sorry look.

  "Uh…I'm in the car," he warned her from the beginning.

  "Your phone was off, baby. I was worried," Rachelle purred behind her handset.

  "I didn't have a signal."

  "Um... Well, I'm at the Loft, waiting for you for lunch. You promised me yesterday."

  Apparently, his appointment with her had completely slipped his mind. I tried not to take pleasure in the scene. No, Zoe, we don't rejoice in the misfortunes of others.

  "I'll be right there. I won't be long. I'll see you in a few minutes."

  He hung up unexpectedly without warning and cleared his throat, embarrassed, before adding,

  "I... Uh... Sorry about lunch," he tried to justify himself, ashamed.

  For my part, it was the first time that I did not feel an ounce of bitterness at his choice. Faïz, on the other hand, did not seem enthusiastic about the idea of seeing his dear and tender other half.

  As usual, there was a lot of traffic on Wilshire, but we finally got to our destination pretty quickly. Victoria was waiting for us by a traffic light, waving her arms for fear of not being seen, then she rushed into the McLaren. Her presence was immediately a real breath of fresh air for me.

  "Hi!" she exclaimed joyfully from the back.

  Dressed in shorts and a flowered dress, she was sublime. I realized that she had changed a lot in a few months. Now, radiant, she was much more confident.

  "You were with a friend?" asked her brother while leaving for Downtown.

  "Clarisse."

  "This is the first time I've heard this name," said Faïz, who seemed to doubt what his sister was telling him.

  "Oh, yeah? That's strange."

  She winked at me in the rearview mirror. I understood that she would later tell me her little secrets.

  "Where are we going?" she asked her brother.

  "I'll drop you off at Valentin's."

  "You're not eating with us?" replied Victoria, obviously disappointed.

  "I have things to do."

  The vehicle stopped in front of a very chic establishment and a valet, stationed near the entrance, rushed to open our door. It was the first time I had been received with great pomp and circumstance. The restaurant's imposing name was written in large gray letters. Posted on the sidewalk at the entrance, Victoria waved goodbye to her brother. He replied with a tender look, then he lingered on me with a slight smile.

  "Zoe, I'll try to stop by Elora in the evening to talk about the meeting this morning."

  "Tomorrow, I prefer. Tonight I won't be at the villa," I hastened to answer before he left.

  Intrigued, he pinched his lip as a sign of annoyance, looking in front of him and then looking at me again. He was waiting, impatient, for a justification from me. Instead, I grabbed Victoria's arm and dragged her inside the fancy restaurant. I refused to turn around, thus avoiding confronting myself with his authoritarian gaze.

  Victoria and I were taken to a table by the window overlooking the busy street. I was surprised to see the place crowded at this late hour of the afternoon. At the entrance was a large showcase displaying macaroons of all colors. The decoration, with white and gray shades, gave this place a relaxing atmosphere. Dark marble covered the floors. A bronze staircase led the customers to an upper floor. The crowd inside the restaurant was just like it: chic and bourgeois.

  "How was the meeting with Julio and William?"

  Sitting in front of me, Victoria immediately entered the subject. A young waiter with dark circles promptly interrupted us by handing us the menu. Victoria grabbed it politely, but did not bother to take a look at it, eager to hear my answer.

  "Well, they're...welcoming. I spent most of my time with William, to tell you the truth."

  "They're very different. You must have noticed that."

  "Oh, yes. William is more, how to say...secret," I said in a tone that surprised me.

  "No!"

  "What?"

  "You like him, Zoe!"

  "Not at all," I said, blushing.

  "I've never seen you smile like that when you talk about someone, not even my brother."

  I gave her a sarcastic smile in exchange before adding,

  "Victoria, please, it's been a very revealing morning for me. William was kind and very patient in explaining to me why I am here. There's nothing more to add to that."

  "Yes, I understand, and you really amaze me. You manage to be yourself in view of what you just learned and what you experienced last night."

  "It was just an appearance," I confessed in a low voice. "You and your family grew up with it and you live with it, but not m
e."

  The waiter, with brown hair neatly combed, with a parting on his side, came back to take our order. We hadn't even looked at the menu yet, even though it was in our hands. Victoria randomly chose the special of the day to get rid of the young man as quickly as possible, and I did the same so that I could return to our conversation, hoping that my dish would not be too bad. The server left again slowly, without any dynamism. Serving people from a privileged and more demanding class throughout the day did not seem to delight him.

  "Are Julio, William, and Faïz close?"

  She frowned and looked up.

  "Julio and Faïz have been very close, but for the past two years, those two have not gotten along so well. Faïz met Rachelle and Julio never liked the relationship. He would have preferred Faïz to focus solely on accomplishing his mission."

  "And you? What do you think of that?"

  Victoria seemed surprised by my question, and couldn't help but stifle a little laugh. She shook her head before answering me.

  "This is the first time I've been asked. Honestly, I think Rachelle came at the right time in my brother's life. Actually, I don't know where he would be today if he hadn't met her. You know, he felt so angry at the time. With his gift, going in the wrong direction would have been fatal for him and many others. Julio knew that you would arrive one day, and he wanted the prophecy to be fulfilled in every way. You are kindred spirits, and for him it can't be any other way."

  "The Callis only guides us, but each of us can change history."

  "Yes, it's true. We all have our own free will," Victoria replied.

  Our cocktails and hot dishes arrived at our table. The scallops with a coulis of leeks revived my hunger.

  "So, who is Clarisse?"

  I took an amused tone to change the conversation. Victoria's eyes began to shine as her cheeks turned slightly pink. Her smile to her ears spoke volumes.

  "There is no Clarisse."