Valor: The Custos Saga

by Jessica Tastet

  She traced her finger over the loopy letters. “This was Rosemary’s book. She recorded her life inside.”

  Angelica peered into the chest, spying mounds of purple velvet. Resting the book on the table, she reached into the chest and brushed against crushed velvet soft as fur. Pulling the velvet up, she felt it catch, held back by something inside. She brushed the velvet away and gasped at the gold lettering on the worn book binding that read Book of Shadow Souls.

  John’s fingers trembled as he reached out and touched the cover. “It’s been here all this time.”

  Angelica smiled. It was an eighteen-inch square book that didn’t look in the least scary, but she couldn’t bring herself to open it. “Wait until Gabney sees this.”

  John studied the book. “Where’s Gabney? She called and said she was staying with you.”

  Angelica pulled herself away from the book to look at him. “What? I haven’t seen Gabney since yesterday afternoon.”

  “Gabney has never lied to me. Where could she be?”

  A roar sounded in Angelica’s ears. Her dream. She’d been dreaming about Gabney and the purple velvet. Fear encroached on her peace of only moments ago. Gabney was in trouble. Angelica knew it, just as she’d known this key was important.

  Her dream. She needed to recall the details. She closed her eyes and strained for the images to surface. The watch. Twelve thirty-five. Angelica had been staring up into the sky at the Gris Gris sign. But there was always something else. Something she couldn’t remember when she awoke.

  Images became a whirlwind and she felt as though she was caught in a tornado. Her mother’s eyes, a dead cat, a cot, a silver ring.

  Gris Gris.

  Hang on to that one. Gabney floating in the air. Gabney pointed at her watch, and three cloaked figures approached. As they closed in they lowered their hoods, and Lily’s face stared at her from each.

  Angelica’s eyes popped open and she stared at John and Griffen. Roxy stood further behind.

  John waited, worry creasing his face.

  “They have Gabney.”

  Fifty-Nine

  “You’re right,” Kline said, bowing. “Something will happen tonight.”

  Lucilius threw his goblet across the room. “I knew it. Yet, Rex hasn’t contacted me. He believes he can double cross me.”

  “Our inside contact Echo confirmed that all parties are moving forward.”

  Lucilius glared off into the empty fireplace for a moment.

  “I’m ready to leave this city.”

  “Sir?” Kline asked, unsure of the statement.

  “Tonight we will wrap up our own business here, and I believe it’s time we return home.”

  Kline hesitated. “How do you want me to proceed?”

  “Gint will take care of the task.” Lucilius looked to him, his cold eyes burning through Kline. “Bring me that young woman. She will return with us.”

  “To the tribe?” Kline’s tone revealed his surprise, and he hoped Lucilius’s assumptions had nothing to do with the truth.

  Lucilius nodded. “She needs to be studied. She has too much of our blood to allow her to remain free. Bring her to me tonight, and I will handle the rest.”

  Kline hurried from the room; fear that his thoughts would broadcast propelling him deep into the compound.

  He couldn’t sacrifice Angelica. The idea made his gut boil with acid. His feelings had gone where they shouldn’t, and it was too late to reel them in. But to protect her from Lucilius would mean sacrificing himself and his father.

  His only chance would be if Angelica succeeded tonight.

  Sixty

  Angelica clasped the purple velvet cloak tighter around her chest as she felt the stares of the elderly couple as they hurried pass them. John had given it to Lily for her twenty-first birthday. Lavender and vanilla clung to the fabric, Lily’s scent, and Angelica knew she had to wrap herself inside and bring her along as she faced the people behind those three faces of Lily in her dream.

  Her face prickled from the chilled air, and Angelica felt the darkness stealing her breathe. Tonight she’d have to prove herself.

  “Someone’s following us,” Roxy whispered.

  Nodding, Angelica closed her eyes. “Griffin.”

  He was twitching with nerves and his heart raced, but he would not let anything happen to Gabney, not before he told her how he felt.

  Angelica would consider it sweet, if it wasn’t so dangerous.

  Serena grunted. “He’s going to get himself killed.”

  Angelica shivered. Fear sat in her middle. Too many people to protect tonight, and she could only hope everyone made it through.

  The book weighed against her back in the backpack she wore under the cloak. She thought she’d feel a thrill or at least a curiosity about the book, but she had this sick, ugly feeling when her fingers touched the pages. She didn’t want it, but she didn’t want them to have it either.

  Roxy scanned the empty street, looking up to the sky when she was done. “Do we have a game plan?”

  “Don’t get killed,” Angelica said.

  Serena grunted. “Nice plan. Do you have a way to prevent that? It’d be nice to hear since we don’t even know who we’re going up against.”

  They stopped near the backstairs of Gris Gris, and Angelica searched for prying eyes. Roxy quickly unlocked the gate.

  Serena had been that voice of negativity since Angelica had announced her intentions to go to the rooftop of Gris Gris. Having their doubts, others had brought up many questions, including not knowing who waited for her. Angelica knew it was Lily’s son. She’d known as soon as she’d touched that book. Pieces had fallen into place.

  “The plan is to get Gabney. Fight like your life depended on it, and get out safe.”

  Roxy nodded. Angelica watched her mentally calm herself with a forced breathe through her mouth. The two of them could probably get along under different circumstances. Hopefully, they had the chance later.

  Serena grunted again. Angelica would have preferred leaving her behind, but once Serena heard Angelica’s plan, she’d insisted she come as back up.

  Angelica climbed the stairs with the other two following close on her heels. On the first step of the roof, cold night air and the midnight sky swallowed her and chilled her all the way through. She scanned the top, taking in three cloaks standing together, waiting for them.

  Gabney sat huddled in the north corner, hands and feet tied, eyes wide. Someone else was slumped at her feet, but the body was half-covered with a thick brown cloth.

  She returned to the three standing before her. Familiarity bounced from their brain rhythms. These were people she knew.

  Her mind ran through the possibilities. Rodney had known about the Vindica earlier. Mark had behaved strangely. Larkin Luke had betrayed her. Detective Gavin had looked at her fascinated. Lysander…she couldn’t finish that thought.

  Her heart ached.

  Roxy and Serena flanked her, and Angelica said, “I believe it only fair you show yourselves. The time for disguises has passed.”

  A terse laugh came from the middle hood as a silver ringed hand pulled the hood back to reveal Mark. “What’s really fair these days, Sister?”

  The bitterness chocked his words out, and Lily’s eyes glared back at her.

  She should have noticed this about him long before, but it was the hardness around his eyes that wiped out the kindness Lily had always looked at her with.

  “How could you betray everyone? Betray John?”

  He grinned. “Mother named me Cain. I guess she always knew I would betray everyone.”

  To Mike’s right, Bruce Meek lowered his hood. After Mark’s reveal, Angelica had thought of Bruce since he didn’t do anything without being by Mark’s side. Cain. She needed to call him Cain, his real name. A brother.

  To Cain’s left, trembling fingers reached up, pushing the hood off. Angelica’s mind froze as she stared into Lysander’s eyes. He’d asked her not to hate him,
and he’d meant at this moment.

  Cain clapped his hands together once. “How does it feel to lose everything?”

  Angelica narrowed her vision, looking away from Lysander, focusing on Cain. “I haven’t.”

  Bruce had moved toward Gabney, and now with a flick of Cain’s finger, Bruce lifted the brown cloth, revealing an unconscious Trevor.

  Anger lit through Angelica. “Roxy, I told you to put him on a plane.”

  “I did,” Roxy said, anger pinching her voice. “I watched him walk through the gate.”

  “Then how did Mark… Cain end up with him?”

  Serena stepped forward and smiled. “I told Trevor you were in trouble and needed his help.”

  Angelica now stood face to face with Serena. “Why?”

  Serena turned and walked towards Cain. “I’d rather be on any side than yours.”

  Roxy stepped forward. “Serena, are you crazy? Your family is at Landon House.”

  Serena laughed. “John abandoned me when he supported her as Valor. Cain is my family now.”

  Cain nodded as he touched her on the back. “You have something that belongs to me.”

  Serena smiled. “She has it in her back pack.”

  If Angelica had a quick thirty seconds with her, Serena wouldn’t be smiling right now. Angelica’s instincts had been right about Serena all along.

  “It belongs to me. Lily chose me.”

  Angelica forced her ability to flow through her, severing the ropes cutting into Gabney’s hands. Gabney squirmed, meeting Angelia’s gaze.

  “And you haven’t done anything to deserve it.” Cain spit out. “You didn’t want any of this. You needed that family that you lost, but this organization knows nothing about loyalty. Don’t let them fool you.”

  Gabney’s bindings fell away and Angelica returned her full focus to Cain. He’d transferred his anger from their parents to her. She could see it in the intensity of his eyes and the twitching of his fingers.

  Suddenly, all at once voices rose up in her inner ear. The voices of people in pain. Clutching Roxy’s arm, Angelica pulled her to the side, knowing the third face of Lily had arrived.

  A tall, lanky shadow rose from the staircase. “You didn’t think you’d have a family reunion without me, did you now?”

  Cloaks spilled onto the roof from the stairs until four stood to her right and eight stood to her left. The odds were not stacked in her favor.

  The man of her childhood nightmares stood among his men, her same blue eyes staring back at her. His face had burned into her memory with the shrieks of his victims, haunting her early years with Lily.

  Angelica could feel Cain’s anger surge. “Who do I thank for your invitation?”

  “It’s amazing what Simone will reveal with prodding. I must thank her later for the opportunity to meet my daughter.”

  Cain’s anger nearly imploded and he sent energy waves through them. Startled, the others looked at him, feeling it move them like wind. Angelica wasn’t sure who Simone was, but she’d store that tidbit away for later.

  Angelica sucked in air, allowing the label to settle, for her to turn it over and feel something at the word daughter. She’d wondered about this moment, feared it. But in this moment, disgust welled inside of her

  “Some father,” Cain snorted. “When have you ever acted fatherly?”

  Reximortum focused on Angelica and blocked everyone out. “I’ve come to offer you a partnership, as together I believe we can make the Vindica the great organization it once was. Everything you’ve wanted since you were seven can be yours.”

  “I remember that speech,” Cain said. “It never became reality.”

  A vein on Reximortum’s temple throbbed. “You’re impatient, arrogant, and defiant and never earned the right.”

  “No, I had to take it.” Cain said, forcing the words between his teeth. “Just like you.”

  With a wave of Rex’s hand, Cain’s face purpled. “I’m through with the past. I’ve come about the future.”

  With a chilled gasp of air inflating her insides, the scene before Angelica came into sharp focus.

  Gabney crept unnoticed towards them, and Griffen now hung at the top rung of the landing. She and Roxy were in danger if she wasn’t smart about this. Reximortum turned to her, and she knew that she needed a plan.

  Angelica exhaled. “The only part of my mother you had a chance with was Cain, and you don’t seem to have done a good job there, so congratulations. As for me, you lost me when you killed Lily.”

  Cain collapsed to his knees while some of Rex’s men advanced toward Serena, Bruce, and Lysander. Reximortum stepped toward her. Gabney jumped toward them and someone swung at her with a long stick.

  Buzzing grew in Angelica’s head as the people around her blurred and focus became difficult to keep hold.

  “Enough!”

  Her abilities stretched, yelling shrilly through their minds, causing their hearts to stop.

  The Dark Soldiers fell to their knees. Reximortum released the pressure on Cain’s lungs, although he barely blinked against the intrusion.

  Gabney moved in behind her and Roxy.

  Reximortum laughed. “Quite impressive, but I knew you would be.”

  Angelica glared back at him. “I’m not giving you this book.”

  “Consider your options,” Rex said, turning around to look at everyone frozen in place. “The monster’s coming, and since my son betrayed me, he’s coming for all of us, I imagine. Join with me and avoid the fate of the other young women. If you join me, I can make that one wish you’ve always wanted yours.”

  She’d only ever wanted more time with Lily, to ask her all the questions, to look into those eyes again.

  Reximortum smiled. “Yes, I can give that to you.”

  “No!” Angelica and Cain’s eyes met as they cried out in unison.

  Angelica returned to Reximortum and searched his face. What was he saying? Could this book bring back the dead?

  Rex stepped closer to her. She could see the crease across his forehead. “We can do it together. Just make the right choice.”

  For a moment, she only felt the stillness. The stillness of the air, of her chest, of the people gawking at them. Through the stillness, visions of the future swirled before her. A future she’d be responsible for if she allowed him to get this book.

  Her heart stilled and ached. She couldn’t choose the past.

  All eyes turned to her. She couldn’t think about loss, only what she could save.

  “I made my choice a long time ago. I choose to stand between you and anyone you intend to kill.”

  His laugh sped up her heart. “You will beg soon, but it will be too late.”

  The Dark Soldiers advanced. Griffen stumbled into the fray as other soldiers ascended from below. Angelica shrugged the velvet cloak off and lifted the sword of Jeremiah. Gabney swept up the cloak and clung to it, trembling.

  Rex stepped back, allowing two Dark Soldiers to advance. Roxy nodded to Angelica and countered the one to their left. As the other one swung at Angelica, she lifted the sword to block him. Impact pushed her back, and she telekinetically flung him fifteen feet back into the fray of the others.

  Griffin struggled to make it to them. He ducked as a sword swung in his direction, and Angelica moved in and blocked as the soldier swung again. She followed it with a swift kick to his abdomen, and he tumbled backwards, breathless.

  You’re going to need my help to win this.

  Startled, she glanced around and Cain met her eyes. Another Dark Soldier lashed out at him and he blocked with his arm.

  I seem to be doing all right on my own.

  A swoosh near Angelica’s ears made her duck as a sword came down near her shoulder. She pivoted and knocked the soldier from behind, but he was prepared and swung again. She blocked the blade, but he pushed backward, attempting to knock it from her grip.

  You can’t save them if you’re on your own.

  Serena was backed up agai
nst the roof edge. Lysander’s opponent had beaten him back as well, and Cain struggled against a mind walker.

  You’re not doing so well yourself.

  Angelica entered her attacker’s mind. His blood boiled, and he seized. She pushed him sideways, and then scanned the rooftop.

  She’d need to get to Trevor. Only four Dark Soldiers remained standing. Hope bubbled within, and the approaching Dark Soldier flew against the building ledge with an effortless wave of her hand.

  A slow drone vibrated her eardrums. She felt it rattle through her toes. He’d arrived.

  Cain searched the area. He heard it, but he didn’t know what it was. Angelica watched the stairs for the monster to emerge.

  “Roxy, we need to get Trevor now and get out of here.”

  Roxy lunged toward Trevor and Griffen followed.

  The three Dark Soldiers left standing, retreated to Reximortum’s side. They knew he was coming.

  Cain’s voice broke through Angelica’s alert scan of the roof scene. We need a plan.

  Angelica glanced to Cain. The monster was on the rungs of the ladder.

  We need to take it out before it has a chance and get everyone out of here in case it does.

  I get the book.

  No deal.

  I could leave and let you save everyone. I wonder how you’d do.

  Angelica studied Reximortum’s crossed arms against his chest. He planned to get rid of both of them and end up with the book. He’d had a plan all along. Angelica had seen that version of the future only moments before.

  You know I’ll come after you for the book.

  I’m counting on it.

  He emerged, a giant stepping onto the side of the building and the drum increased in volume. She gaped at his opalescence and the clearness of his eyes under the moonlight. He wasn’t human. She knew it from the glow of his flesh, the beat of his heart, and the unnaturalness of his size. Kline’s claims of full-blooded Custos felt believable at this moment.

  Limping under Trevor’s weight, Roxy stopped and gawked.

  Looking at Trevor’s groggy limp form, the dream fell into place. The piece that had always slipped away when she’d wake flashed before her. She lunged toward Roxy and Trevor, but it was too late.