“Hey,” I say, making him jump. I hold up my hand when he tries to hide the sheet of paper. “Don’t bother.”
“I was just―“
“It’s okay, I understand.” I sit next to him on the bed. “Were you able to write down what you saw in the premonition?”
He nods and pulls a piece of paper from his pocket.
I give him a long and hard look. “Are you okay?”
He turns his head away. “Sure.”
“No, really.” I rest my hand on his shoulder. “If there’s anything I can do to help, tell me.”
He shakes his head and gestures to the letter in front of him. “I was reading a letter my brother wrote me about a week before he was killed by that gravity pixie.”
I wait for him to continue. He doesn’t.
“I’m sorry, Taylar, but we’ll have to deal with your unfinished business later. We’re going to scry for Trevor again, and this time, I need you to come with us. It was stupid of me to leave part of my Shield behind.”
Taylar snorts. “You don’t have to comfort me. I know I’m useless compared to the others. I’m only valuable to you now because I have your powers.”
I slam my hand down on the bed. “Stop saying stupid things like that! You are not useless!” I look him in the eyes. “Do you hear me? You have a role to play, just like everyone else here.”
He shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I saw it in the premonition.”
“What? What did you see?”
He nods at the piece of paper in my hand. “Read it.”
“No, I want you to tell me. Tell me what’s bothering you.”
His eyebrow moves up. “Is that an order, master?”
I can’t hold back the sigh inside me any longer. “Come on, Taylar, give us both a break here. I’m not talking to you as your master, but as your friend. Please tell me what’s wrong.”
“Fine.” He folds his arms and fixes his gaze on his report. “I think what I saw was… our last fight. Our final stand against Lucifer. And it wasn’t pretty. Sure, we were all fighting like true warriors, and we were strong too. Demons went up in smoke everywhere. But the Devil was just too strong for us. He knocked all of you out, one by one, until I was the only one standing. And then…”
He chokes up and bites back his tears.
“Then what?” I ask.
“And then he turned to me and said, ‘Well well, if it isn’t Taylar. You don’t look so special to me.’ He beckoned me and allowed me to get up. ‘Now then,’ he said, ‘show me what you’ve got. Let’s see this amazing power or yours.’ So I nudged my core. I commanded my power to wake up. But of course, nothing happened. And Lucifer just laughed at me.”
He closes his eyes and for a second he gets so transparent that he’s almost invisible. “So, I was reading Lleyton’s last letter to me, in which he told me how awesome I was. I was hoping to get the feeling back that it gave me when I first read it. The feeling of being able to do anything you set your mind to.”
There’s a silence after his last words, because I have no idea how to respond to this information. But there is something I really want to know.
“Were we…” I’m afraid to ask. “Were we all dead?”
He frowns at me.
“Really dead, I mean,” I say before he can give me the inevitable, ‘we’re already dead’.
“I don’t think so. Just knocked out.”
I force a grin onto my face. “Well then, it’s not all lost. Let’s be optimistic and say you’ll find your power just in time, and we’ll get up and help you defeat Lucifer.”
He snorts again. “Yeah right.”
“No, really. You didn’t actually see him defeat us, did you? A lot can change in a couple of seconds. Besides, now that we know what’ll happen…” I wave his report through the air, “we can prepare for it.”
He looks at me long and hard and finally copies my grin. “You’re right.”
I stand up and hold out my hand. “Are you ready to scry?”
He lets me pull him to his feet. “As long as I’m not the one doing the scrying, sure.”
CHAPTER 27
It doesn’t take the pendant long to find Trevor, and the spot it lands on confirms my suspicions that he had left the world behind the portal before we arrived.
“We’ll have better luck this time,” Charlie ensures me when I almost rip the map trying to fold it.
I muster up enough patience to refold the map. “We’ll just keep going until we find him.”
“And kill him,” Jeep adds.
“That would be nice.” I hide the pendant and finish my coffee, that has gone cold.
Then we say goodbye to Mona and Mom again and file out of the mansion.
“What do we do when we find the soul?” I ask as I pat the dashboard before starting Phoenix.
After a bit of grumbling, she starts, and we wave goodbye to Mom in the doorway.
“Tell him the truth,” D’Maeo proposes. “He’s some sort of priest, isn’t he? He should be likely to believe us.”
I nod, but I’m not convinced. Even if you know about all the magic in the world, a bunch of ghosts and two sixteen-year-old boys trying to keep the Devil in Hell still sounds pretty farfetched. If I was the one pulling the strings somewhere above us, I would’ve bet on someone older and more experienced. But then again, my father and grandfather didn’t have much more luck than me.
We drive into Mulling. Charlie is sitting next to me, in Jeep’s usual spot, reading the map. “We can park the car in the supermarket parking lot. The building where Trevor was about thirty minutes ago is just around the corner.”
As soon as we’re all out of the car, I beckon everyone closer. “What now? Do we use the invisibility spell again?”
D’Maeo shakes his head. “Not if we want to talk to the priest.”
That gives me an idea. I peer at the map in Charlie’s hands. “Is there a church nearby?”
His finger taps a square with a name under it. “There’s just one, and it’s on the same street.”
I straighten up and lock Phoenix. “I say we check it out. See if anything strange is going on in there.”
With the ghosts invisible, it’s just me and Charlie walking down the street, which makes me nervous. If Trevor is still near, he might see us passing by, and I’m really not looking forward to another fight with a bunch of demons or other Devil worshippers.
But no one even looks at us, and the atmosphere feels safe.
Soon, we reach the church at the end of the street.
It’s a simple building, unlike the ones we have in Blackford. It’s made of timber, painted white, and it has an annex with a slanted roof.
We enter through the open door. It’s early afternoon, so it’s quiet in the church.
“Keep your eyes open for Trevor,” I whisper to the others. “He could be in here.”
My words aren’t even cold when a familiar voice echoes between the wooden benches around us. “God kills your family, and you’re still on his side?”
Charlie and I plunk down onto a bench and pretend to pray, but no one comes out from the back of the church.
The answer is muffled, and Charlie turns his head to me. “Do you want to take a closer look?”
It’s risky as hell, to use a fitting expression, but we don’t have much time left to find out which priest to save. We must know what he looks like.
So we squeeze back out from the benches and tip toe to the door at the back of the church. It is slightly ajar, and Vicky peers through the crack. She gives us the thumbs up and pushes the door open further.
The hushed conversation grows louder as we approach another door, the one to the annex.
“God has a plan.”
That must be the priest talking.
“He had a reason for taking my wife and daughter.”
Crouched down by the door, I peer through the keyhole. When I find most of
my view obstructed by dust, I press my cheek to the floor and try to see something through the crack under the door.
“Just feet,” I whisper to the others.
“And your sister. What if God decided he also wanted to take your mother, your cousins, your sister-in-law?” Trevor’s tone is businesslike as if he’s a real estate agent trying to sell a house instead of an evil man serving the Devil.
There’s a soft sob, but the priest’s voice is still determined as he answers. “Then I would pray for their happiness in heaven.”
“And what if I could help you get them back?”
One pair of feet stumbles backward, and something crashes to the floor. “What are you? What do you want?”
The other feet step forward. “I’m just a simple man here to help you, my friend. It is not me you should fear, but the one you so strongly believe in.” The feet turn my way. “Think about it. And call me if you want to know more… before someone else dies.”
“He’s coming,” I hiss, and I look around frantically for a place to hide. There is none.
What do we do? We’re not ready to take out Trevor, he’s too strong. Besides, I want to know what else he’s up to. He’s our best connection to Satan.
Thankfully, my best friend keeps his head cool. As the doorknob moves, he raises the staff and holds his breath. The shuffling of feet behind the door grows silent. Charlie gestures to the doorknob. “Go on, they should be frozen in time.”
“Should be?” I repeat, raising an eyebrow. “What if they’re not?”
He places his hand behind his ear. “Do you hear anything?”
We all stand perfectly still for about ten seconds. There is no sound.
“Okay,” I say, inhaling deeply. “I hope you’re right.”
Very slowly, I push the doorknob down and open the door. Trevor is right behind it, looking straight at me. A small yelp escapes my mouth, but his eyes are just as frozen as the rest of him. He can’t see me.
Behind him, the priest’s gaze is fixed on his back while both of his hands grip the edge of a table. Fear and disbelief are mixed up in a battle on his face.
We slip past Trevor into the room. Charlie and the Shield study the man extensively while I’m still looking at Trevor, wondering what his motives are. What did the world ever do to him? Why does he want to destroy it? Does he have the same delusions as my former friends Paul and Simon? Or is it more of a power thing?
“Maybe I should take a picture,” Taylar says. “In case we forget what he looks like.”
“No need,” D’Maeo answers. “Now that we’ve found him, we’re not leaving.”
My head swerves around. “What? Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea what Trevor will do to us when he sees us? We’re not strong enough to fight him right now.”
“But he won’t see us.” D’Maeo’s calmness makes my fingers itch.
“He will if we’re still here when time starts to run again.”
“Not if we hide.” He points at a mountain of stacked tables and chairs at the other side of the room. “As soon as Trevor leaves, we can talk to the priest.”
“I’m in.” Jeep is already crossing the room.
My thoughts are tumbling in all directions. Do we follow Trevor to find out what he’s planning besides taking this man’s soul? Do we try to take out Trevor now that we’ve got the element of surprise at our side? I throw that option in the bin immediately. I’m still convinced we won’t be able to take him on at this point because of our switched powers.
My gaze drifts from Trevor to the priest and back. “Okay, let’s give it a try.”
CHAPTER 28
Vicky shuts the door and makes sure that Trevor’s hand is still resting on the knob.
Once we’re all safely positioned behind the stacked furniture, Charlie closes his eyes and unfreezes the room. While I’m waiting for Trevor to sense something is off, my best friend nudges me and gives me a big grin as if to say, ‘look what I did!’. I give him a thumbs up and focus on the two men again.
Trevor pulls the door open but doesn’t walk away. He pauses in the doorway and looks over his shoulder.
He’s made us, I’m sure of it. He has some kind of sixth or seventh sense and knows we’re here.
His hand lets go of the doorknob, ready to use his power.
My mind reaches for my power core, and my hand moves to my pocket. Within a second, I can pull out my Morningstar and throw it at him if I have to.
But Trevor’s attention is focused on the priest. He opens his mouth to say something but changes his mind. The other man doesn’t even notice; his face is resting in his hands, and he’s sobbing softly.
Tension holds on to my muscles as Trevor leaves the room. His footsteps slowly die, and I lower my hand.
The priest is still crying, and I wish we’d discussed the best way to approach him before Charlie pressed play. I feel like an intruder here.
Charlie stands up and beckons me quietly. Praying he has an idea of what to say, I straighten up and follow him as he approaches the priest.
My best friend smoothens his shirt, that seems too bright for the gloomy occasion, and clears his throat. “Excuse me… sorry to bother you.”
The priest stumbles backward with a frightened expression on his face.
I hold up my hands. “Don’t be afraid. We’re here to help you.”
For the first time, I take him in fully. He’s around fifty years old, of average height, with dark brown hair combed neatly backwards and the beginnings of a beard and moustache. The dark bags under his eyes mar his face, and his black robe makes him look even paler than he is.
He makes the sign of a cross and mumbles a prayer before responding. “Help me with what? How did you get in here?”
“Help you survive the plans that man has for you,” Charlie says bluntly, pointing at the open door.
The priest steps further away from us, picks up a cross from the altar behind him and lifts it in front of his face. “What do you mean? What kind of evil creatures are you, appearing out of nowhere like that?”
I place a hand upon my heart. “We were sent to save you, sir.”
He turns his body left and right, over and over, trying to keep the cross between him and the both of us. “Save me from what?”
I have a strong feeling that telling him the truth will only push him further away from us, so I decide to try another tactic. “Trevor is evil. You know that, don’t you? You felt it.”
Relief passes over his face at the realization that he’s not alone. We understand and that will draw him closer, I can feel it.
Of course, Charlie has to spoil everything by adding the worst thing you can possibly say to a person. “He wants your soul. The Devil needs it to escape Hell.”
The man’s mouth falls open. His hands tremble as he holds the cross closer to us. “Who sent you? Tell me the truth!”
Charlie wants to answer him, but I grab his arm and squeeze hard. “Be quiet, you’re only making it worse.”
“He has the right to know the truth, Dante. Isn’t that what you wanted to tell him?”
“Yes, but there are different ways to bring bad news. You’re freaking him out.”
He shrugs. “Well, if there was ever a time to freak out, it would be now.”
“There’s no need to freak out. Yet.” At the sound of Vicky’s voice, I close my eyes. Why can’t they just trust me to handle this?
A cold hand touches my shoulder, and I slowly breathe out. This is not a good moment to get angry.
So I let Vicky do what she wants.
The priest seems to be frozen to the spot as Vicky approaches. She folds her hand around the cross, and the priest’s eyes grow wide. But nothing happens. No smoke trails rise from her palm, and she doesn’t fall onto the floor screaming.
I can see the priest’s lips trembling through Vicky’s transparent body.
“It’s okay,” she says to him. “Rel
ax. We’re not here to hurt you.”
She stops inches from his face, and he finally lowers the cross.
“Are you a… a…” he stutters.
I imagine Vicky smiling as she finishes his sentence. “Ghost, yes. Returned to Earth to protect a powerful Mage. Who in turn is here to protect you.”
His eyes are locked onto hers. Is she trying to control his feelings? Has she forgotten that she doesn’t have that power anymore?
Either way, the priest seems to relax a little. His hand finally lowers, and he puts away the cross.
“I don’t need saving,” he says. “Trevor does.”
Vicky turns and raises her eyebrows. “Good point.”
“I know he’s trying to make me turn my back on the Lord, but he won’t succeed. God will punish him if he tries to execute his threats.”
“What kind of threats did he make?” I ask.
He pulls up a chair and sits down, his shoulders dropping. “Last week, I lost my wife and daughter in a car accident. The next day, my sister had a heart attack and passed away.”
“I’m so sorry,” the three of us say in unison.
“Thank you.” He smiles wryly. “This Trevor showed up soon after, claiming that God was unworthy of my love and that I should turn to Satan for help.”
There it is. Heresy. What sin could be worse for a priest?
“Of course, I turned him away. I offered to help him regain his belief in the Lord, but he just laughed at me and left. Today, he came back to tell me I will lose more loved ones if I don’t embrace the Devil.”
I recoil. “He threatened to kill your loved ones?”
His fingers caress the cold metal of the cross he put down. “No, he said God would take them, and the Devil could help me bring them back. Reunite us, all of us.”
He probably could, I think to myself. But I don’t say it out loud. I have my doubts about God, but I know the difference between good and evil, and Lucifer is definitely on the wrong side.
“But don’t worry,” he continues. “My faith in the Lord is strong. He is testing me, and I will not waver.”
The Fourth Soul: (Cards of Death book 4) Page 14