The Shadow Box: Paranormal Suspense and Dark Fantasy Thriller Novels

by Travis Luedke

  “Oh, Antonia,” he said, the tears rolling down his cheeks once more. “I can see why you would want to be here.”

  He showed the spot to his sons, and they liked it too. It faced south. A large rock marked the area behind them. To their right stood a grove of trees that had sprouted on the riverbank. The grass they stood upon was a lush green. In front of them, the river flowed peacefully along from east to west towards a Danube tributary.

  “She should be happy here,” Simon said. “It is a quiet spot.”

  “Yes,” Gabriel agreed, his voice barely audible over the sound of the nearby water. He could not stem the flow of tears. “She shall be at peace.”

  “It is where she wants to be,” their father said. “And it is where I would like each of you to rest when the day comes.”

  “But we could be anywhere, Papa,” Mihail said.

  “Then promise me,” he said, in as firm a voice as he could manage. “When one of you passes over, the rest of you must bring your deceased brother here. Promise me that.”

  They did not understand his request, but made the promise to appease him.

  “And what of you, Papa?” Petre asked.

  “I am going to Rome. That shall be my final resting place.”

  Chapter 28

  ROME PROVINCE. THE PINCIAN HILL TO THE NORTH OF THE CITY OF ROME.

  JUNE, 1502.

  Andrei looked down on the vast metropolis that was Rome. His horse snorted and stamped its hoof into the ground. It had been a long journey, and both man and beast welcomed its end. Antonia would have loved this view. He looked up at the sky. Evening had drawn in, and dark hues of purple and amber blended in with the blue. “I shall not be much longer, my love,” he said.

  He patted the horse on the side of the neck. “Rest easy, boy,” he said, in a soothing tone. “We can both do with the rest.”

  The horse snorted again when he turned the animal around. Only a short time ago, he had spotted a good place to spend the night. There was always a risk sleeping outside while so close to such a big city. His was a fine horse, and any thief passing by would covet it. He did not let it worry him too much. From birth, he had been on one long journey, but one that was soon to draw to a close. He rode back and laid out his bed. The animal settled soon after him, close to his side.

  Andrei thought of his last moments with Antonia. The memory of her always brought a smile to his face. He missed her so much. Yet he knew he had much to thank God for. By His grace, they had enjoyed a life filled with love and happiness. Theirs was a love so fine, it would live on long after they had left this world.

  He cast his mind back to her burial.

  * * *

  TRANSYLVANIA.

  ANTONIA’S BURIAL PLACE, NEAR CLUJ.

  MARCH, 1502.

  HIS sons carried her to the spot he had chosen for her. He kissed her one last time before they laid her in the ground.

  The women and children formed a tearful group close by. The grownup children stood and watched also. Only Antonia’s sons took an active role.

  Andrei gave his wife a long and touching eulogy. At times, he had to pause for his tears to subside. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. His boys gathered around him to offer comfort and their support. They helped him get through it as best they could.

  The others sloped off to leave him and his sons alone. He had to look away when they filled in her grave. It was the moment that made it final. She was truly gone.

  “Her goodness shows even in how she named each of you,” he said.

  “What is that, Papa?” a teary Mihail asked him.

  “She named you all after the Archangels and the greatest of the saints.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “That was Mama.”

  Andrei sighed from the grief he felt inside. “She was one of a kind.”

  “When are you leaving for Rome?”

  The others stood around when they heard their brother pose the question.

  “Before nightfall.”

  His answer shocked them.

  “Why so soon, Papa?” Gabriel asked.

  “The sooner the better,” his father said. “It is something I must do before I die.”

  “For what purpose?”

  “There is great evil in the world, which has to be destroyed. I was born to do it, or at least, to set the process in motion.”

  “You are going there for that?”

  “Yes, Simon. The pope has to know.”

  “And what then?” Gabriel asked him. “Shall you return to us?”

  He looked to the youngest of his sons. “No, my son. I shall not return.”

  “Then, where shall you go?”

  “To join your Mama. She is waiting for me.”

  “Then we should escort you there,” Mihail said.

  “No,” Andrei firmly rebuked him. “You are the head of this family once I go. You and your brothers must remain here and watch over your loved ones.”

  “But, Papa. It is a long and dangerous journey.”

  “It is my final word. I go alone.”

  “Any manner of plight could befall you,” Petre cut in.

  “God is travelling at my side. I should be safe.”

  “And could this great evil you speak of not try to halt your progress? What then?”

  “If it could see me, yes, but my defences are strong.”

  “Why do you want us buried here?” Raphael asked, speaking for the first time.

  “Because the key to destroying this evil lies within all seven of us.”

  “The way we repelled him that night? The seven of us together?”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “How, Papa?”

  “Long after you are all in the ground, one shall come to find you. That is why you must all be buried here.”

  They nodded that they understood.

  “It does not end there. In your lifetime, you brothers must form a covenant that shall live on after you.”

  “What do you mean, Papa?” Mihail asked.

  “One shall come to you in time, to guide you. Our bloodline is essential to defeat this great evil in the world. That is as much as I know.”

  They each had a dozen questions they wanted to ask, but they could sense their father did not have the answers they sought.

  “I must go,” Andrei said, before any of them could pursue the matter.

  “You have not even packed any rations, Papa,” Simon said.

  “Nor your bedding,” Ioan pointed out.

  “Then do it for me. I want a moment alone with your mother before I leave.”

  They left him alone. As soon as they were out of sight, they talked of his leaving.

  “We cannot allow him to travel alone,” Simon said.

  “It is his wish,” Mihail reminded him.

  “I do not care. Any manner of fate could befall him on those roads.”

  “Yes,” Gabriel said. “Mama has passed on, and Papa does not have a clear mind.”

  “Then who wants to do it?” Mihail asked them. “We cannot all go.”

  “I shall,” Simon volunteered. “I am the strongest of us.”

  “And I,” Ioan piped up.

  “And a third?” Mihail asked the others.

  Gabriel nodded to accept the decisions of his brothers. “I shall go, too.”

  “Very well. Wait till Papa leaves, and then follow.”

  Andrei had prepared his horse while his sons dug Antonia’s grave. He had left it in the nearby grove for this moment. With tears filling his eyes again, he crouched down beside the grave and laid some flowers. “I must go, my love. Our boys shall only follow me, if I do not. Watch over them. I shall be with you soon.”

  After a while, his sons began to wonder about him.

  “Papa is a long time,” Simon said.

  “Leave him,” Mihail warned. “He is saying farewell to Mama.”

  “Well, his horse is ready,” Ioan pointed out.

  “As are ours,” Gabriel cut in. “
I am going to check on him.”

  It was not long before he ran back to the camp. “He is gone! Papa is gone!”

  “What? Check the horses,” Mihail told Simon.

  Simon checked on them. He looked dismayed when he joined his brothers again. “There is one missing. He has left.”

  “Then I am riding after him!” Gabriel shouted.

  “As am I,” Ioan said. “Simon?”

  “Yes,” he said, nodding. “I am coming.”

  “You shall not catch him,” Mihail advised them. “That is why he did this.”

  “I am still going,” Gabriel asserted.

  “He does not want you to.”

  “We have agreed on this. I am going after him.”

  Andrei rode as hard as he could until dark, knowing his sons would pursue him. Once he had crossed the border into Hungary, he eased off. His body could no longer take the pounding of a prolonged hard ride. His three sons rode hard to catch him. When night came and still they saw no sign of him, it gave them a dilemma.

  “We should turn back,” Ioan suggested.

  “You can, if you wish,” Gabriel said.

  “We are not going to catch him, Gabriel.”

  “How long can he ride like this? He is old.”

  Simon too doubted they would catch him. “I imagine he is not even using this road. We could ride a thousand miles, and never see him.”

  Gabriel looked desperate. His horse spun around a few times in a circle as he tugged the reins. “I cannot give up,” he said. “He is my father.”

  “We tried,” Ioan consoled him. “It is time to return to the camp.”

  Gabriel knew he was right. He nodded and turned his horse around to go back with them. They never saw their father again.

  Andrei rode into Croatia and then through southern Austria. His progress was slow as he had to negotiate several mountain passes with much lower temperatures. It was a relief when he crossed the border into Venice. From there, he passed through Este, Pisa, and Tuscany, before arriving outside Rome. The journey took more than two months.

  * * *

  THE sun rose early over the hills, but Andrei awoke at dawn. It took him a time to get up, as his whole body ached. He sensed his end was near. The thought made him smile, knowing he would soon see Antonia again.

  He took a deep breath as he looked on the city below. Rome was not a good place. In this time of Pope Alexander VI, the city had become decadent and unsafe. It swarmed with adventurers, murderers, gangs, and prostitutes.

  Many an eye fell on him as he rode through the streets. Women openly flaunted their bodies on the street corners. Some even walked up to him as he rode by. He did not even look at them. His rebukes saw some of them curse and swear at him. A few even hurled rotten food his way.

  In other streets, men brawled openly with each other. Andrei soon realised there was no law and order here. The rotten smell of decay met him wherever he went. He wondered why God tolerated it. In the past, He had destroyed places such as this, and without mercy.

  Even in the Rione Borgo, things did not improve. Andrei hoped that near the Vatican, the streets might be quieter. This was not the case. Another huge fight erupted right in front of him in the street he had turned into. Both factions wielded knives and other weapons. He tried to turn around, but could not. The gangs spilled out from side streets into the area behind him too.

  He watched many of them fall down. Some were dead, while others lay on the ground bleeding. His horse jostled about in fear of the chaos all around. After a time, the battle ended. The defeated gang fled, leaving their dead friends littering the narrow street.

  The rival gang now focused on Andrei. They surrounded him on all sides in case he tried to get away. Like Dracula, Andrei had the gift of knowing many languages. He could understand everything they said to each other.

  “That is a fine horse,” the gang leader said to him.

  Andrei nodded. “That it is.”

  “I want it.”

  “Perhaps you should ask in a nicer fashion,” Andrei said. “Then, I might give it to you.”

  The man eyed Andrei in case he had a weapon on him. There were none that he could see. “Perhaps you should climb down.”

  “I shall not do that.”

  The man grew agitated. He was someone who was used to getting what he wanted. Andrei observed him with a keen eye, and saw a black aura surrounded the man. It hinted to him that the man’s death was close. Blood covered his clothes from those he had killed. Andrei knew the man would think nothing of killing him too.

  He nodded his head to a man on Andrei’s right. His accomplice approached Andrei with a knife in hand. Andrei turned his head and looked down into his eyes. The man stopped in his tracks. Suddenly, he cried out and dropped the blade, which glowed red against the ground.

  The man looked at him and stepped back. The gang leader glanced down at the knife. “Are you a sorcerer, of sorts?”

  “No,” Andrei said, returning his stare. “I am nothing of the like.”

  “You could burn for such a thing.”

  “Then burn me, if you can.”

  It was a rare thing for him to issue such a challenge. Looking at the men around him, he felt he needed to show strength and courage.

  The gang leader could not refuse a challenge, especially with his men looking on. Should he not accept it, then there would surely be a contest for his position as the head of the group.

  A strong wind blew in from nowhere and gusted through the narrow street. Some of the men found it a little unsettling, but not the gang leader. He kept his eyes fixed on Andrei.

  The horse reared its front legs and struck out at him. He had to step back quickly to avoid a possibly fatal blow. The gang members to the rear made a move on Andrei. When they came within a foot of the horse, an invisible force knocked them back. Each man crashed into one of the houses on either side of the street.

  The gang leader no longer felt so brave. Andrei suddenly looked an imposing figure on his horse. “It would be best for everyone if you let me pass,” he said.

  “You can walk out of here,” the man advised, “but the horse stays.”

  Andrei leaned forward in the saddle as if to whisper to the gang leader. “Your heart is so black, so twisted with anger and hate. It does not bode well for you with the moment when you stand before God so close at hand.”

  Intimating the man would soon die only served to anger him further. His face twisted with anger as he took a step toward Andrei again. “God does not exist in these streets. The blade is all that counts here, and the one with the strength to wield it.”

  “If only that were true, for your sake. Repent, while you still can, before your soul is lost. Embrace the Lord, our God, and ask His forgiveness for your sins.”

  One of the gang threw a knife at Andrei. He could do nothing as it struck him in the chest near to his heart.

  The gang leader grinned. He expected that to be the end of it.

  Andrei groaned in pain and slumped forward in the saddle. For a moment, he closed his eyes, but he had to meet with the pope. This would not stop him.

  He focused on the pain. Gripping the hilt in his right hand, he pulled the blade out of his chest. Slowly, he felt an incredible strength building inside. It started at his feet and moved up through his entire body.

  The gang members watched on in silence. They saw Andrei’s body tense. His head lolled back as his aging muscles grew taut and rigid. It threw his arms out to either side, where a blue current crackled from the tips of his fingers. The force of it lifted him out of the saddle.

  Each of the men stepped back. They realised they had made a mistake. What man can rise into the air like a bird?

  “The blade is melting in his hand!” one of them cried out.

  The gang leader looked at the knife and watched it drop to the ground. Smoke rose from the leather hilt. The metal was twisted and emitted an eerie blue glow.

  The horse bolted clear. When one of t
he men tried to grab the reins, it crashed into him and knocked him down. Andrei remained in the same spot, about six feet above the ground.

  The gang forgot the horse for a moment. Except for their leader, their eyes stayed focused on the old man. Suddenly a brilliant blue light shot out from the wound in Andrei’s chest. Each man who saw it cried out and dropped to his knees.

  “I cannot see!” one of them cried.

  One or two stood up and staggered about with their hands over their eyes. The light had blinded every one of them. Andrei opened his own eyes again. He looked down to see the gang leader standing straight in front of him. The wound in his chest closed and, slowly, he eased back down to ground level.

  “I am blind!” another of the gang cried out.

  The gang leader did not seem to care about the plight of his men. “If you are not a sorcerer, then who are you?” he asked Andrei.

  “I am but an honest man, with a good heart and a good soul.”

  “Then I shall cut it out of you,” the man snarled.

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” Andrei replied, standing his ground. “It is not my moment to die.”

  “I could soon make it so.”

  Andrei shook his head. “To try would only bring you harm. The aura around you is black. You should embrace God while you still can.”

  The man did not have it in him. He slanted his eyes and squared up to Andrei. “Look at what you have done to my men. You shall neither walk nor ride out of this alley for it.”

  Andrei glanced down at the blade in the other man’s hand and grabbed the wrist that held it. The man cursed as he tried with all his might to push it into the much older man.

  The blue static in Andrei’s hands passed from him to the gang leader. The man tensed all over and staggered backwards when Andrei released the grip on him. The static crackled and flickered all over the man’s body. He cried out for a moment, until it passed into his mouth.

  He collapsed and writhed about on the ground. Both his orbs glowed with the same brilliant blue. His body convulsed and jerked. When the light finally faded, the man fell still. Andrei moved on to find his horse. He did not want to be there when the Black Ones came.