She figured that Julian was the type of person who would release her from one holding cell to put her in another. She would be released, and hope would blossom that maybe she was going to be set free or at least find a better environment, but Julian would probably relish taking that glimmer of hope away.
Nina had been held captive before. All of her misadventures with Purdue and Sam had been good preparation of how to deal with being someone's hostage. Although, her previous captors weren't as insane as Julian Corvus. They all had limits of what they seemed like they were willing to do. Julian had no comprehension of limits. Everything was possible, no matter how awful. Most of all, she had never killed anyone who took her prisoner before. If anyone had an excuse to make her time absolutely excruciating, it was the man she killed ... but Julian surprisingly hadn't. It hadn't been any worse than other times she'd been imprisoned.
“It's almost time. We're nearly ready.”
They had taken Nina from her cell to a large warehouse. A half-dozen giant trucks sat waiting around them, as Black Sun operatives scattered about. Some grabbed weapons out of gun racks and others suited up in combat equipment. They looked like they were preparing for some sort of military operation, and Nina felt a tingle of nervousness creep through her body.
It was like the Order of the Black Sun was literally going to war against David Purdue.
Sasha pushed Nina along. “Keep moving. We all need to be loaded up and ready to go at a moment's notice.”
Julian climbed onto the steps of one of the tractor trailer trucks, so he was above everyone else—as he liked it. His gaze moved across the warehouse and he suddenly proclaimed, “If you could all please gather around!”
The agents of the Black Sun around the warehouse did as they were told, all hastily forming a crowd in front of the truck Julian was on. He nodded appreciatively at the sight, and laughed under his breath.
“From what we have heard, our greatest enemy is on his way home this very moment and it is time to finally take back what is ours. David Purdue doesn't know that we're coming. He doesn't know that we have one of his frequent collaborators.” Julian pointed to Nina, which prompted many of the Black Sun members to glance back at her. “Most of all, he doesn't know that I'm even alive. Today is the last day that one man will ever stand against us. When I took my place as leader of this sacred order, I promised you that we would rid ourselves of everything that stands in our way. I promised you a new age. My friends, this is the start of that new age!”
There were loud cheers and clapping from Julian's audience. They were fired up, and he was letting them revel in the enthusiasm. In that moment, Nina watched all of those members of the Order of the Black Sun closely. She didn't know most of their names. She didn't know what their reasons were for being part of the Black Sun. All she knew was that they believed Julian and his proclamations. They believed he was the man who would lead them to something better.
When they looked into his gray eyes, they didn't feel the cold wasteland behind his irises that Nina did. They didn't see ice. They saw crystals and starlight. They saw an unbreakable desire to create a better future. Julian would give them real power. All they had to do was trust him to show them the way.
Charismatic insanity had often been viewed as leadership throughout history.
So many leaders and dictators that were unhinged had been supported and followed by so many people. Their ideas were, outlandish but their ambition was so strong, that others wanted a part in their glory. However, as history had also proven, the ones who followed mad leaders only did so for so long. There eventually would come a time when they would realize just how deranged their leader was.
Hopefully, that time for the Black Sun would come sooner rather than later.
Julian let out a roar that empowered his entire audience. “David Purdue is has returned from his travels. So, what do you say? Let's welcome him home!”
13
DINNER PARTIES AND BOOK CLUBS
Jean's neck was straining from looking up so much at the luxurious house.
“This is not a house ... this is a castle.”
Felicity scoffed. “It's excessive. That's what it is.”
“Oh, calm down,” Purdue snickered. “We all live different lifestyles. When I'm not crisscrossing the globe, I like to rest comfortably. Very comfortably.”
Purdue's guests followed him deeper into his home. Jean's mouth was still hanging open while Felicity's arms remained tightly folded over her chest, like the house had personally insulted her.
The butler of the estate, Charles, approached and bowed his head to them. “Welcome home, sir. I wasn't aware we were expecting guests. Had I known, I would have rooms already prepared.”
“No need, Charles. I don't think they mind the place not being spotless. In fact, I hardly think they notice, isn't that right, Jean?”
“Indeed,” Jean said, his eyes still wide with wonder. “If this is the house dirty, I cannot imagine it being clean.”
Purdue brought Charles close to their guests and began their introductions. “This is Jean-Luc Gerard and Felicity Perry. We've been working closely these last few weeks. They won't be staying too long. They just want to see the fruits of all of our labor.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you both,” Charles said politely. “I will get right to preparing dinner.”
“Good man,” Purdue said, giving the old butler a hard pat on the back.
“When will we finish putting the book of shadows back together?” Felicity asked. “I didn't come here to socialize. To share stories over a warm meal.”
“We'll finish the book in due time,” Purdue said. “First, we'll enjoy the delicious feast Charles will prepare. It will give us time for some closure and to put a bow on this little adventure of ours.”
“Sounds good to me,” Jean said, rubbing his hands together. “I never let free food go to waste.”
They all sat around the long table in the dining room. Purdue appreciated the space between them.
Felicity was fuming, impatiently tapping her fork on her plate. A nice dinner wasn't what she wanted, not when the pages of Mona Greer's book were closer to each other than they had been in over a century; since they had been torn away from each other by Greer's coven after her death.
Jean, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the meal. He savored every bite and dug in enthusiastically like it was the last meal he would ever eat.
Charles stood idly by, patiently waiting for his next chance to be of assistance to Purdue and his guests. He tried to conceal it, but seeing Jean enjoying the food he prepared brought a proud smile to the old butler's wrinkled face.
Purdue stared at the drink in his hands, looking contemplative. “So, what do you think happens when the book is whole again?”
“We could find out right now if we put aside the food for a minute or two,” Felicity grumbled, still barely touching the plate in front of her. “A celebration shouldn't happen until after you know you're successful. We don't know that yet. This whole dinner is premature.”
“You've got a lot of complaints for someone who would have been stuck without us. The book has gone this long without all of its contents. Surely it can wait a few minutes longer, aye?” Felicity rolled her eyes but despite her over the top dissatisfaction, Purdue stood by his decision. “As intrigued as we all are, we shouldn't rush into things blindly, and that includes putting the book of shadows together. We should be cautious ... afraid, even. If the story's true, we probably won't enjoy what's inside. What do you think is in there, Jean?”
“Recipes to boil children in stew.” Jean looked down at his place and grimaced. “I should not have said that while I am eating.” Jean pushed his food down the table, farther out of his reach. “Big mistake.”
“You're wrong,” Felicity said, practically stabbing her own food with her fork. “Mona Greer wasn't the monster everyone makes her out to be. She wasn't a Satanist. She didn't eat people. She was powerful because s
he understood magic in the earth in a way that no one else did. They feared her because she was different. Different to them ... meant evil. They painted her as a demon because she didn't worship God every Sunday. She chose nature and the magic that runs through it over some divine being. That was enough for her to be persecuted by her peers at the time. There's nothing scary or violent in her book. Just secrets to unlocking real, natural magic in its purest form.”
She might have been right, but Purdue wasn't fully convinced. What little bit of scribbles that had been legible on that page weren't exactly comforting. He couldn't get it out of his head.
MAGIC IS SACRIFICE.
It might have just been about the burden and toll wielding magic does to the user. It might have been nothing more than philosophical musings of a woman in a constrictive society. But there seemed to be something so much more sinister in that sentence.
Most importantly, why had that been the only sentence intact and not hidden among all of the scattered, crazed scrawl on those pages? Everything else was shrouded, not wanting to be seen or understood, but that one sentence was written clear as day. That couldn't have been a coincidence. Coincidences like that didn't exist.
Maybe Felicity had a right to be agitated by the delay. Maybe he was stalling because part of him was afraid to read what Mona Greet had really written. Would they unleash something horrible from within the book's contents? Or would they be pulled inside of the book, lost forever among the insanity it contained? Or maybe he was being crazy, and the book was just as harmless as Felicity believed.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, there was only one way to know for sure.
“Alright then, Felicity. Alright.” Purdue rose to his feet. “Who's ready for desert? Anyone up for putting the pages together?”
Felicity was the first to bring all of her pages to the table, along with the book's binding. Jean unveiled the page that he owned, and Purdue put down the page they had dug up in Giles Corey's grave. Just having all of the pages in the same space added a sense of tension to the room. It was like a final warning signal that they didn't belong so close together, that they should be moved away from each other, far away to opposite ends of the Earth immediately.
But they ignored the feeling that swept over them. They couldn't afford it now, after coming so far. The only direction to go was forward. They had to put aside fear and see what so very few people had seen.
For all they knew, the book contained knowledge that would actually benefit the modern world. If Mona Greer was as powerful and wise as people said, surely there was something in there that could actually be a good thing, but Purdue still felt nervous about the only visible words: MAGIC IS SACRIFICE. He couldn't shake the menace that that sentence presented.
Purdue looked to his two colleagues and a strange feeling came over him in that moment. Seeing the two people he was working with reminded him of his usual two colleagues—Nina Gould and Sam Cleave. Part of him really missed them and wished they were on this venture, but then there was the other part that was glad that they weren't diving headfirst into some scary witch journal like he was about to. Nina would have hated this whole affair; especially digging up Giles Corey's grave. And Sam, Sam would have thought the entire search was ridiculous. No, no they wouldn't have been the right fit for this quest.
Jean-Luc Gerard and even Felicity Perry had been helpful despite the uneasy alliance they had.
Jean had even become something of a friend to Purdue; someone he could see himself working with in the future if he ever went on the hunt for something supernatural again. He was even someone Purdue could see himself just going out to get a drink with if he was ever in New Orleans. It was the perfect city for it.
Felicity, on the other hand, wasn't ever going to be a friend, or even someone he would contact for help again. He would have to see her when she came to the vault to see the book, but otherwise, he already knew that they would have very little interaction in the future.
“Ready?” Purdue asked, mostly to himself.
Jean smiled. “Why not? This is only one of the most important moments for witches everywhere.”
Felicity just nodded, looking more focused than she had the entire time. As she had said earlier, this was her life's ambition. Everything she had been working toward was leading to this moment. Hopefully it would be worth all the time she took collecting the pages.
Felicity pulled the binding open and lay it flat on the table as they placed all of the pages in their proper places. When they did, each page miraculously attached itself to the bindings of the book like they had never been torn away at all. They started flipping frantically on their own, in a wave of motion, from one end of the book to the other and back again. From cover to cover, the pages kept turning and turning.
As they moved, the mess of scribbles seemed to be sliding across the paper, in a mad scramble to find where they actually belonged.
Right before their eyes, the incomprehensible scrawl began forming actual words, unbinding into proper sentences.
The chaos on the page turned into order.
It was like watching the book be written and filled in a matter of seconds, rather than years.
Once the words had completely broken free from the cloud of chicken-scratch, the book slammed shut.
The three of them looked uneasily at the closed journal, none of them making a move to go near it at first. Purdue decided to step up. They had come this far and had put so much effort into getting all of the pages together. This was what they had been working toward and he was going to see it through, even if the magical witch diary was terrifying.
Slowly, Purdue peeled open the front cover and to the first page of Mona Greer's private book of shadows ... and he didn't like what he found.
14
THE TRUTH ABOUT MONA GREER
Almost all of the horrible rumors about Mona Greer were absolutely true; and all of the good things were either lies told by secret supporters or by people who were fooled by her act. She wasn't a Wiccan and she wasn't the kindly apothecary who used ancient and forgotten remedies from the earth.
There were rare times when paranoia and superstition were actually warranted.
Mona Greer really was the hellish witch so many made her out to be. The crazed pagan studying the darkest and oldest of magic. They were so afraid of her ... and they were right to be. She had seen and wielded real power. She'd experienced things that none of them—not even other witches—could never even begin to understand.
Her work in practicing age-old magic made her something of an explorer, venturing into long forgotten knowledge that no one else dared to search for. Yes, sometimes her research required certain sacrifices to be made. A price had to be paid, and blood was a valuable form of currency when it came to magic.
Initially, she only took the neighbors that contributed the least to the community; the ones the village didn't need and wouldn't miss. They made for excellent subjects to perform her rituals on. The effects would vary but often to great success.
There was Victoria Multon, the most beautiful woman in the village, with suitors desperately waiting to make her a wife. Everyone loved her and she expected everyone to worship the ground she walked on. Mona refused to. She didn't fawn over Victoria like everyone else did, and that beautiful girl hated that. She treated Mona like she was lesser, and barely even noticed her. In fact, she spent most of the time walking all over her.
So, when finding people to practice her magic on, Mona was quick to choose Victoria—and put her inside of a puddle. She was nothing more than a reflection in a pool of water. No one noticed her anymore, and she finally knew what it was like to be stepped on.
And when that puddle dried up and evaporated, so did the radiant Victoria Multon, never to be seen again.
Having that kind of power—real power—was intoxicating, especially in a time when women had none. She wasn't going to just give it away or let it go. That wasn't an option. The only sensible thing to do w
as to go further into her studies, amassing as much magical knowledge as she could contain.
The more people that went missing, the more sacrifices that she made, the more powerful Mona became.
Unfortunately, that power also brought unwanted attention to her, but there was no point stopping, even to avoid suspicion. No one could stop her so there was no need to hide anymore. She went about her business as usual, not letting anything get in her way.
The abductions continued and her power and knowledge continued to steadily grow.
Soon enough, the remaining townspeople were pointing at her, proclaiming that she was the witch who was snatching their neighbors. Everyone was told to stay far away from Mona's home or risk being taken or hexed.
It became harder to test her magic when the villagers were being more careful. Fortunately, they grew tired of treating her as a simple pariah and heathen. They didn't stay away for long. They came, in full force, as a mob of armed witch-slayers. They came to her front doors to roust her from her home.
Her followers, the members of the village who were secretly part of her coven, tried to convince the rest of their peers to leave while they still could. They knew Mona's power and they knew what would happen if the mob didn't disperse. The mob had other ideas, and they refused to listen to the warnings. They were adamant to drive the witch from their lives, no matter the cost.
Mona stepped out of her house, with her personal journal in her hands. Her coven knew what that meant. She had all of her knowledge, a goldmine of the darkest magics, in her grasp. She wielded the book like she would a sword and unleashed the full might of her power on the people that came to slay her. She released the worst curses she knew of upon her assailants; things that they could never even dream of ever happening to them ... happened.
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