The Chosen Knights (Read Prequel--The Angel Knights first) (The Angel Knights Series Book 2)

by Mary Ting

  We answered, “Yes.”

  “Milani, start preparing,” Eli ordered, talking like the great leader I knew he could be. I’d thought that about him the first time we met.

  Milani stood up and raised her hands, overlapping them in circular motions. “Air we breathe. Air we need. Light as air we seek to keep. Conceal us. Protect us. Let it be as crystal clear.” When she placed her arms down, a soft breeze whirled throughout the room. “Done.” She sat back down.

  “Good job,” Eli complimented her and continued, “I’m going to need Milani’s help. There’re too many of us. I’ve never done it with a group. With one, yes.” His eyes fell on me then back to the book. “But not with this many people. I don’t even know if it will work.”

  “Let’s try.” Uncle Davin got up and went around the sofa. He pulled several strands of hair from Jack’s head.

  “Ouch.” Jack rubbed the back of his head. “You could have asked. I would have given you more than one.” He frowned.

  “That’s good to know.” Uncle Davin sat back in his spot. “Eli, by the way, next time use the door. There’s a reason why the door was invented.”

  “Oh, I know. But I don’t need it,” he said matter-of-factly and then squeezed between Jack and me. I could sense Jack wasn’t happy about that. My uncle scowled at Eli’s comment.

  “I thought you weren’t coming,” Abel said. “You’ve come to your senses.”

  “Don’t make me change my mind,” Eli grumbled.

  I didn’t know why Eli had changed his mind, but a part of me wished he’d come for me. I recalled Abel’s words to Eli, telling him he should be there for me.

  “And for the record, I’m not a traitor,” Abel blurted out of the blue.

  “Not now, Abel,” Eli growled.

  Uncle Davin placed strands of Jack’s hair between each of the shreds of paper near the spine of the book. He then willed his sword and grabbed Jack’s hand.

  Jack yanked his hand back. “Whoa. Wait a minute. Don’t you have anything smaller? You could kill me with that.”

  “Here.” Abel took Jack’s hand and brought it to his mouth.

  Jack pulled back, watching Abel’s eyes turn amber. At the same time, his canines dropped lower, transforming to razor-sharp fangs.

  “You’ve never seen that happen, have you?” Brody asked. You could tell he found it amusing as he kicked back and crossed his legs.

  “Holy...awesome.” Jack leaned in closer, observing how Abel’s teeth sank into the tip of his index finger. “Ouch!” He jumped.

  “Don’t waste it or I’ll bite you harder next time.” Abel guided Jack’s finger to the book and then flipped it over so the pearl drop of blood fell precisely on Jack’s hair. I flinched when it sizzled and then disappeared as if it were never there. Then something glowed brightly. “You’ve got some potent blood there, my friend.”

  “It’s time.” Eli grabbed my hand. Even though every ounce of me wanted to yank it out of his tight grip, I conceded. “Everyone stand up and hold hands,” he ordered. “Milani, on the count of three.”

  “Wait,” Jack said urgently.

  “What is it?” Eli was irate.

  “Do we have seven?”

  “Does it matter?” my uncle snapped. “Let’s get on with this.”

  “Yes, it does. We need at least seven. One, two, three...” Jack counted, “...seven, and I make eight. Uncle Davin doesn’t count ‘cause he’s old. So we’re good to go.”

  Uncle Davin gave him the evil eye.

  Eli inhaled a deep breath and counted, “One—”

  I held Jack’s hand with my free hand.

  “Wait,” Jack said sheepishly.

  “What is it?” Eli spat through gritted teeth.

  “I can’t believe this is happening. I wish my grandfather could see this.” His lips quivered and my heart melted for him. I understood his pain of longing for someone he loved. “Being one of the descendants, as we go forth on this crusade together, I dub thee knights. We are the chosen knights.”

  “Here, here.” Brody raised his hands, causing Milani’s hand to be raised and then it rippled around the circle of hands like a wave.

  “Here, here,” everyone groaned unenthusiastically.

  Eli sighed. “Let’s try this again, shall we? One—”

  Jack smiled at me and squeezed my hand.

  “Two—”

  The wind blew, but only within our circle, and a light appeared. The portal opened, and Eli and Milani closed their eyes. Already knowing how this was going to feel, I closed mine too and prepared for what was to come.

  “Three!”

  I took a peek to see a blurry vision of everyone’s faces blending to the point I couldn’t tell who was who. But beyond our tight circle, everything in the house was still. We spun so fast we became as one.

  Chapter 21

  I was grateful to land on solid ground. Hearing grunts, I turned to see Uncle Davin, Brody, and Abel on the ground as well. They hadn’t had a comfortable landing like the rest of us. I chuckled to myself as I watched them get up.

  Abel glared at Eli, who was helping Brody up. Uncle Davin dusted off his pants as we all gazed around. The scent of something repugnant whiffed through my nose. From their grimaces, I assumed everyone else smelled the same thing.

  “A great place to land.” Abel pointed at a huge trash pile. “That’s where the smell is coming from.”

  “Just be glad you’re not in it,” Brody said. “Now what?”

  “This way,” Eli directed and went around a building to peek through the window. “There are people inside but at the other end. Follow me.” With his last spoken word, he went through the wall.

  One by one we followed. It felt strange to go through something solid as if we were ghosts.

  “Whoa.” Jack looked at his hands. He gaped down at his body, touching his legs, stomach, and chest to make sure he was in one piece. “That was awesome. Is that how you feel when you go through things, Eli?”

  “Sort of. It depends on the person. I don’t get that excited,” Eli answered, cocking a brow.

  “Shhh.” Uncle Davin said.

  “They can’t hear you,” I reminded him.

  It was the middle of the day, but all the shutters on the windows were drawn tight. A few lit candles were on a table by the doorway and the scent of edelweiss filled the air. It appeared they were trying to be inconspicuous or having a secret meeting.

  On the way to the next room where the voices were coming from, I spotted a painting of a family on the wall—a mother, father, and three young sons. The sons were dressed elegantly in fine tunics and pants, the mother wore a beautiful red ball gown, and the father had a long black cape to match his hat. The heavy wooden furniture was upholstered in rich velvet.

  We gathered around to listen to two men at the dining table. I didn’t like invading their space. In a way this was so wrong, but it had to be done.

  “I have the book with me,” the man with thick brows and brownish hair said as he glanced down at the book in his lap. He was nervous and antsy. “It has everything in it: how we started the Knights Templar, the names of the knights. I drew and listed some of the items we found at the Temple of Solomon and the road on which we traveled. More importantly, where to find the treasure.”

  “The treasure?” the man asked, taking a sip of his tea. He appeared a little older than depicted in the painting.

  “Yes, Phillip. The treasure that men and supernaturals would kill to find.” He gazed at his tall black hat on the table next to his mug.

  Phillip leaned in closer. “But Jacques, you told me no one must find this treasure.”

  That was Jacques de Molay? He mirrored the picture Zach and I had seen on the Internet, even though he wasn’t wearing his Knights Templar uniform. He resembled a commoner sporting a green tunic, dark pants, and a long black cape.

  “What are they saying?” Jack asked. “They’re speaking French. I think that’s Jacques de Molay.” Jack st
ared, awestricken. His eyes glistened against the candlelight as his body trembled slightly. He was overwhelmed to see the man his grandfather had told him stories about. Jack had learned about this man and grown to idolize him and all of a sudden he was standing in front of him.

  “Shhh, I’ll tell you later,” I whispered, trying to hush him up quickly to get back to the conversation. I didn’t want to miss anything.

  “Yes,” Jacques continued, “but if I die, someone else must know.” Jacques leaned back in his chair and rubbed the nape of his neck.

  “What does this treasure do?” Phillip ran his thumb around the brim of the mug.

  “I cannot tell you.” Jacques shook his head, unable to look Phillip in the eye. “It is best you are unknowing.”

  Phillip placed his hand on Jacques’s forearm in a consoling gesture. “What shall you do?”

  Jacques dipped his head low, appearing defeated. “I am uncertain. I cannot tell any of the knights. Furthermore, I do not wish to put your life in danger. It’s best I say nothing more.”

  “Jacques. Clearly you need my service or you would not be here. Why is this treasure so rare, and what does it look like?” Phillip placed his arm down in frustration.

  “I cannot tell you, Phillip.” Jacques held on to his mug tightly. “I had nowhere else to turn. I had to see you. I believed if I did, I would know what course of action to take.”

  Phillip sat up tall and took another sip. “I have a notion. I know of a very powerful witch. Perchance she could make the words disappear so only certain people will see them. Also, to make it difficult for others to find this treasure, perhaps you can tear out three pages and conceal them. Obscure each page in a different spot and leave clues to find them, as in a riddle they must solve.”

  Jacques’s eyes grew wide with hope. “Excellent idea. Where can I find this witch?”

  Phillip pushed his chair out and went to a different room. When he came back, he handed a piece of paper to Jacques. “Here is the route to travel. When you are there, tell her you came at my request. If she asks for a message, you must say these words in order: air, water, earth, fire.”

  “Air, water, earth, fire,” Jacques repeated. Picking up the brown leather-bound book, he held it against his chest. After glancing at the directions again, he stood up. “Thank you, Phillip, you are most gracious.”

  Phillip embraced him with a pat on his back. “Please, take heed.”

  “I will,” Jacques released him with a warm grin. But Phillip’s eyes betrayed him, showing his misgiving.

  “I do not know your cause. Though it seems weighty, surely it is not worth your life.”

  “It is,” he replied with conviction and placed his hat on his head.

  When Jacques walked out, we followed Eli through the door. As we stepped onto a cobblestone street, I noted we were in a town as we passed other homes. Shortly, we came to an area of quaint shops standing side by side along the street. Each shop was unique in feature and design. Some were flat plaster and wood structures, while others were built with bricks. My nose tuned in to the smell of fresh-baked bread when we rounded the corner. I had never wanted bread before, but the aroma was captivating.

  Jacques remained cautious and looked over his shoulder every few feet. When the cool breeze swept in, he pulled his cape tighter around him. He had the book hidden under his cape as if it were his most prized possession as he maneuvered his way through the streets filled with people. Once in a while, he would take out the directions from his pocket, study them, and then put them back.

  This section of the street was different from the last. Wagons in front of shops displayed fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, and other items I didn’t recognize. Besides food, there were blankets, clothes, and shoes. I believed this section was called a market. I enjoyed seeing what the people were wearing in this time period. Both men and women wore long, belted garments. They were much more complex than my jeans and T-shirt.

  “This way.” A quick tug on my arm grabbed my attention. Had Eli been keeping his eye on me? Though he led the group, he had fallen behind to be next to me. “Try to stick with the group, will ya? Try not to touch them,” he said.

  I was just about to comment, but we stopped in front of a small, ordinary-looking shop. The outside was made of plaster with some stones, like the others adjacent to it. However, when I peered through the open door, I knew it wasn’t ordinary. The scent of edelweiss was the first indication we had reached our destination. And the dark room was the second.

  Candles along the top ledge gave enough light to see what was on the shelves of the long wooden cabinets on either side when Jacques entered. Even though we could have gone through the wall, the door stayed open just long enough for all of us to get past, as if it knew we were there. When the door slammed behind us, the room became a little bit brighter.

  The displays of random items caught my eyes: a skull, a book, a cane, a dagger, jewelry, bottles, a cape, and a pair of white gloves inside a glass case behind a wooden cabinet. A large clock on the back wall swung silently. Above the clock was a balcony to the second story.

  The soft sound of something colliding alerted me. A lady entered through the beaded curtains in the back. Her long, black hair blended with the black dress she wore. She was tall and gave off a presence signifying she was in charge. “May I be of service?” she asked in French.

  I was stunned to see the same lady who’d been geared up with weapons when Eli and I had last traveled. Ikelia appeared beautiful and vulnerable this time around, compared to the badass she was before. Wondering if Eli recognized her too, I gazed at him. Instead of being surprised, his eyes were filled with pain and longing.

  “Air, water, earth, and fire,” Jacques sputtered, even though Ikelia hadn’t asked him a question yet. He was so nervous, I could hear his heart race faster than the second hand on the clock. Despite his apparent anxiety, he tipped his hat and placed it back on his head.

  Ikelia looked to the left at the tall bookcase displaying books and candles. “Who sent you?”

  “Phillip.”

  Ikelia walked around him, raking her eyes over every inch of him. Her cape dragged on the ground like the train of a wedding dress. “The resemblance is strange. You could be brothers.” She stopped and glided her fingers across her jaw.

  I waited for Jacques’s response, but he remained still, cautiously watching her every move. “I must not delay. Shall we begin?” he finally asked.

  “Even your obstinate personalities are alike.” Her lips curved downward to a frown and her eyes glared at him. “Follow me.” She waved her hand and the bookcase slid open wide enough for a single person to pass through at a time. It sealed shut as soon as Jacques had passed through.

  Again, we went through the wall into another dimly lit room with lanterns hung all around. It was a lot smaller, but just as eerie. Shelves lined the back wall, displaying bottles, dried flowers, and powders. The smell of lavender and other herbs invaded my nose.

  “What are you in need of?” Ikelia stared intensely at him.

  Jacques was so distracted from gazing around, she had to repeat herself a bit louder.

  “Oh.” He stiffened, seeming apologetic. “I want to conceal this book.” Jacques peered down at his chest.

  “What’s so special about that book?”

  He raised a brow. “That is not your affair,” he said quickly and harshly.

  Her nose twitched. She was offended by his choice of words, but she let it go.

  “Very well. What is it you need?”

  “How much?”

  She paused as if to toy with the question. “There is no coin exchanged. I use my magic as a service to others, not to profit from it. However, I do require favors in return. Either you or Phillip must requite for this one day. Place your book on the table.”

  Jacques eyed the table between them. On it were lit candles, needles, a silver bowl, a small spoon, and a small black book. Gingerly and hesitantly, he placed t
he book down. “I need you to ensure no one can read the print, except for me and descendants of my family’s bloodline when I pass.”

  Ikelia opened to the first page. “Is that all?”

  “Wait...and those who are worthy. I mean, it must only be for good intentions, not malicious.” He sounded nervous.

  “I will do my best. Spells are fickle, and what you request is not simple.” She reached for a small knife. “I need a drop of your blood.”

  Jacques pushed his black cape over his shoulder, rolled up his sleeve, and placed his arm on the table. “I need one more thing: in order to reveal what they need to do, there must be seven knights. At least seven knights must start the journey together and return in time to find the answers. And they must know of the dangers of astral travel. Some may not make it back. But we need to begin with seven.”

  “I can do that, but your request is nearly impossible. You wish seven descendants of your kind to work together? It is apparent you have no sense of the future. People might call me a witch, but I’m an Elementum. Supernatural beings will change over time and the descendants will be of blended bloods. So I don’t recommend just your line, but rather any seven supernatural beings.”

  Jacques eyes were fixed, contemplating her prediction. “Very well. But make haste.”

  “Rudeness will not make me work faster.” With that she turned her back to him took out bottles and herbs from the shelf, and dashed a few things onto the book.

  “Open your hand,” Ikelia demanded. Taking his hand, she nicked his palm.

  Jacques cringed at seeing his blood as she guided his hand over the book.

  “I just need one drop,” she said and then chanted, “I pour thee my soul, my blood. Conceal thy words in flood. A secret code must read. And the following words will bleed: Dark smoke covered the rising sun. And evil spread across the land. Seven knights battled along the run. In the end, it was the duty of one. The one will lead. Going back in time. To find the hidden deed. Before the day is done. Seven knights were chosen. Seven descendants shall be. For the destiny is the reason. This you shall see.”