by Jaci Miller
“If that is to be my fate, then so be it. But unlike you Lucien Beck, I will go to the afterworld with my soul intact.”
She turned abruptly, her anger filling the room with volatile energy. Objects flew from his desk to the floor. Chairs flipped as papers whirled through the air caught in the downdraft that followed her destructive wake. His office door flew open shattering the glass as she strode toward it. Tortured screams echoed all around them as those caught in the underworld were inflicted by her fury.
Lucien’s brow furrowed as he observed the spectacle.
Celeste’s powers were extraordinary as was her connection to the dead. Her demise would be such a waste.
“It’s too late Celeste,” he called after her. “No one can stop what is coming. Not even you.”
Chapter 19
Celeste spent the rest of the day making calls and sending instructions to the underground. She sifted through documents in the archives looking for anything that may give them a clue, a way to stop the Second Coming and Lucien.
In his boastful rage, Lucien confirmed the timeline she’d received from Nathan, eight days. The Second Coming was set to begin on the eve of the next full moon—March 23rd.
Nathan had called while she was in a late meeting. His message was brief but there was something different in his tone, he no longer sounded defeated but optimistic. She supposed he still had faith in the prophecy and believed that somehow his daughter would find her way back to her true destiny. As she dialed his number Celeste hoped that would be the way things turned out but after seeing the look in Lucien’s eyes, she knew he was not a man prepared to lose.
“I’m sending someone to your office,” he said after their initial pleasantries.
“Who?”
“Someone who might be able to help. You will understand once you meet her. And Celeste, keep an open mind.”
After hanging up she tidied her desk and went to her dinner meeting. An evening of stroking the egos of her biggest stockholders should keep her mind off Lucien Beck.
Three hours later she was back in her office standing by the windows and gazing across the skyline. It had rained for the better part of the afternoon and a light fog shrouded the city in a misty glow.
She glanced at her watch. It was after ten and still no sign of Nathan’s friend. Maybe she wasn’t coming because maybe she couldn’t help.
Celeste walked back to her desk and pulled a bottle from her desk drawer. Leaning back in her chair she took a sip of whiskey straight from the bottle.
Maybe no one could.
The drizzling rain finally ceased, and a haze coated the night sky.
From her perch at the top of the Woolworth Building, Gabriella could see the lights of the city as they stretched out for miles. The winter wind swirled ruffling the feathers of her wings. She tugged up the collar of her leather coat and fixed her gaze on the bustling city below.
Closing her eyes, she listened not to the night sounds of the city but the whispering underneath. There was an abundance of magical energy in New York, running through the underground sewers and swirling in the dark recesses of every borough. For there to be this much magic in one place there must be a significant number of individuals who knew how to wield it.
This would be the perfect place for Dane to hide.
She cocked her head, hearing a strange hum beneath the cacophony filtering up from the streets below. Her senses reached out looking for the essence marking those with ancient blood.
The wind picked up breaking her concentration and her eyes fluttered open. If Dane was in the city, she would find her. It was merely a matter of time.
Since leaving Etheriem Gabriella had spent the past two days roaming around Brighton Hill. Dane’s essence was faint, but she discovered it lingering here and there. The scent eventually led her to the abandoned flour mill. New padlocks secured the doors and the windows were shrouded with black tarps. Although she didn’t enter the mill, she sensed the dark energy saturating its insides and the thrum of the daemon pods. A sharp stench of fresh blood seeped from the building. It was tinged with magic but not with the distinct essence of the ancient bloodlines.
Thankfully it had not been Danes, but the blood did belong to someone born of this world.
After discovering the mill had been sold, and knowing Dane was no longer in Brighton Hill, she had journeyed to the city to investigate Beck Holdings. And now she stood atop the city listening to the nocturnal sounds drifting through the chilly night.
The phone in her pocket vibrated.
“Hello.”
A familiar voice came over the line. She stayed silent as he spoke, her eyes flashing as he explained the reason for his call.
“The Woolworth building,” she said to the caller. “Yes, I can find it. Broadway, Liberty, Pearl, #120. I will go now.”
Gabriella hung up the phone and placed it back in her jacket. Arching her wings, she jumped and soared through the night sky.
Hidden above the ambient glow of the city lights the wind pushed her toward her destination. Without a sound, she landed on the roof.
The bolt securing the access door broke with ease under the blade of her sword. Entering the building she took the elevator down to the executive floor.
Celeste didn’t hear the woman walk into her office, but she felt the magical essence sizzling around her.
It was unfamiliar. Unlike any magic she’d encountered in the past.
Her eyes studied the stranger dressed in black.
A black streak snaked its way down one side of the straight white hair skimming her shoulders. Pale skin, a stark contrast to her rose-red lips, shone under the warm radiant glow cast by the desk lamp. But it was the woman’s eyes that commanded Celeste’s attention. They flickered with iridescent light; a multitude of colors weaving through her irises that shifted and changed with every blink.
“Nathan said you’d be coming.”
The woman nodded. “Celeste, is it? He thought we should meet.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I believe he feels it necessary. A way for you to truly appreciate the prophecy and its consequences.”
Celeste tempered her irritation at the ambiguous and arrogant attitude the woman projected. “I believe I already understand what’s at stake.”
“Do you?” The stranger unfolded her wings spreading them to their full width. “My name is Gabriella.”
“You come from the other world.”
The statement required no confirmation or denial.
“You do not seem surprised.”
Celeste shook her head. “I have seen much in my time, although admittedly an angel isn’t one of them.”
Gabriella inhaled sharply. “Celestial.”
“Excuse me?”
“My kind are not angels, we are celestials. Angels are a product of man’s otherworldly thinking. A way for them to understand things they cannot comprehend. To give your short, insignificant lives merit.”
Celeste scowled. “I apologize for my pitiful race offending you by putting yours on a pedestal.”
“If mortals knew the truth of our kind they would not be admiring so much as fearing,” she stated.
“Well, I’m sure this will be an interesting discussion for another conversation but for now, our time might be better spent on the matters at hand.”
Gabriella nodded and folded her wings back inside her coat. She moved closer to Celeste.
“Nathan mentioned you have information about the person I seek—his daughter, Dane.”
“She’s with Lucien Beck.”
“I assume he owns Beck Holdings?”
“You know of him?”
Gabriella’s shook her head. “No, but the purchase of the old flour mill in Brighton Hill led me here. His company bought it.”
“It recently
came to my attention that Lucien purchased a large commercial property in that town. Although I have no idea what he would want with an abandoned flour mill. It’s not exactly the type of property he usually invests in.”
“From what Nathan has told me about Beck, the old mill in Brighton Hill seems perfect for his needs. It sits alone in a field far away from prying eyes and is saturated with the energy he requires—a dark, tortured force, which has been collecting around the mill for centuries.”
Celeste sighed. “I suspected it may.”
“You know of Brighton Hill’s past?”
“Yes, it has an unfortunate one.”
“Over time the veil created a vortex around the mill trapping the imprints of all those who perished violently in the town. Unable to move on, they are fated by their tragic ends to exist within this timeless void. It has resulted in a vast amount of dark energy swirling around the mill. Nathan thinks Beck tapped into this and is using it as a power source to create a portal for the ancient dark.”
Celeste chuckled thinking how much Lucien would hate being referred to as Beck. “Lucien calls this entity the beast.”
The celestial raised her eyebrows. “Interesting. Tell me, exactly who is this Lucien Beck and what does he want with Dane?”
“Lucien Beck is an incubus.”
The fact that she admitted her long-time friend was a daemon wasn’t easy, it made her skin crawl. But, the anger at his betrayal of their friendship fueled her conviction to stop him and his insane plan. Her fists clenched as she stared at the celestial’s impassive face waiting for a reply.
“I do not know this word incubus,” she said.
“In our world, incubi are low-level daemons. Their reason for existing is to spread their daemon seed among mortal woman.”
“Why would such an inconsequential daemon be interfering with an ancient prophecy?”
She flicked her manicured hand in the air in frustration. “Revenge, a power grab, a sense of family loyalty, twisted justice. I don’t know. Whatever Lucien’s reasons you can be sure of one thing—he is not a normal incubus nor is he inconsequential. He’s been created by ancient magic by invoking a blood pact with this beast, that if I am not mistaken even your kind couldn’t defeat.”
The celestial glowered at her but remained silent.
“Before he made this pact, he was a glamour witch. His power allows him to get people to do what he wants by manipulating their mind.” She sighed. “He’s never used his powers to his benefit before, but it must be how he’s controlling Dane. To maintain this level of control, especially over another magical being, is extremely difficult and an incubus can only maintain that control over a short period. Just long enough to impregnate. If Dane is not with Lucien of her own volition, then glamour is the only reasonable explanation.”
Gabriella walked to the window and stared out at the skyline. “Is there a way to intervene. To break his power over her?”
Celeste pulled an amulet from her pocket and walked to where the celestial stood, holding it up in the space between them. The metal’s surface was tarnished and marred with scratches and dents. A blood-red ruby emblazoned one side while crude etchings were carved into the other.
“This has been in my family for generations. It is a protection amulet imbued with the spirits of the dead and provides the possessor with an impenetrable barrier to dark magic. It also provides the bearer with clarity and is how I knew Lucien was an incubus. If we can get this on Dane’s person, it may weaken the glamour and allow her to once again think for herself.”
Black wings fluttered as the celestial eyed the amulet. She touched the metal, her slender fingers grazing over the strange etchings.
“It is the veve of Baron Samedi,” Celeste said, indicating the amulet. “In my culture, he is the loa of the dead. A god. He waits at the crossroads to receive the spirits of those passing into the underworld. But he is also the giver of life. Baron Samedi can block curses, hexes, and dark magic if he chooses. This amulet is said to contain a part of his spirit, trapped in the enchanted ruby on the front. His power maintains a constant wall of protection around whoever has this in their possession.”
“And you think it can work on Dane?”
Amber irises flickered as she locked eyes with Gabriella. “Unless you have a better idea.”
As if to herself, Gabriella said. “The prophecy did not foretell of this.”
Celeste huffed. “Your prophecy doesn’t seem to be too accurate. Forgive me for pointing out that it also has another glaring omission.”
“Meaning?”
“The race bloodlines of the five realms may be the ones foreseen to stop this ancient evil, but the blood of your world is also what’s initiating the passing of the prophecy. Tierney blood, the blood of the betrayed is how the beast will rise—Lucien’s blood.”
Gabriella’s wings rose at the sound of the name and her face was a mask of displeasure.
“You know the Tierney bloodline?”
“A long time ago, yes. The Tierney line of Warlician warriors has always been trouble. In our world, three families of witches ruled the earth realm known as Dywen: Callathian, Morrighann, and Tierney. They were the oldest bloodlines and the most powerful in the Warlician Order. But, unlike the other two bloodlines, the Tierney’s were outsiders, rule breakers, and difficult to control. Vertigan Tierney proved to be one of the worse. During the Great War, the darkness of his essence had been manipulated by the ancient dark, and he committed unspeakable atrocities. Stripping him of his magic and vanquishing him to the new world had been, in my opinion, a weak and unjust punishment. I had recommended death but the Warlician sect thought banishment much direr. A cruel way for a supernatural being to live out his days—as a mortal.”
Celeste sighed as she finally understood the connection between their two worlds and how their fate was now irrevocably entangled. “Regrettably it seems that fateful decision began the beginning of a new age. The catalyst that would eventually drive the ancestor of Vertigan Tierney, Lucien, to this.”
“I must get back to my world at once and find the others.”
“What about Dane?” The red gem of the amulet glinted as Celeste held it out to Gabriella. “This might be the only way.”
“If what you say about this incubus is true, I will not be able to break the connection alone, but I may know someone who can,” she said taking the amulet.
“And what can I do?”
“Are you willing to fight?”
Celeste nodded.
“The Second Coming will commence under the light of the full moon, but it will not begin here in the city. Although the magic here is potent, it is too chaotic making it difficult to focus. Lucien has chosen well; the mill is where the battle will commence. You must go to Brighton Hill.”
“If you’re sure about the mill, I will gather those willing to fight and meet you there.”
“There is no doubt,” she replied. “Meet us there on the eve of the twenty-second, no later. Gather the strongest of your kind who are able to fight with magic and force.”
She hesitated and her irises flickered. “They must also be willing to die.”
“Good luck. I hope you find a way to help your friend.”
Gabriella turned the amulet over in her hand. “There is only one person who can get through to her now. Pray the connection between them and between our worlds is strong enough to save her.”
Celeste’s eyes narrowed as the celestial turn to go. With her wings stretched out behind her and the long leather coat brushing her ankles as she strode toward the door, she was rather an impressive sight.
The sword at her hip shone in the light and Celeste felt a sense of awe as immortal energy swept through the room unimpeded. It was a power; unlike anything she’d encountered before.
The celestial stopped but she did not turn around. Her voice
sounded tense as she spoke.
“If we fail and the ancient dark proves to be the victor your world will not be the only one to fall. Thanissia will again feel the ancient dark’s wrath only this time it may be lost to us forever.”
Chapter 20
They entered the Galenvale Grove an hour after leaving Niramyst.
The trek took longer than usual as they often stopped to quiet an increasingly hostile Marlee. Her hands were bound, and a gag secured in her mouth but her feet were free so she could walk and kick at her captors. After the third time she kicked Killenn, this time in the groin, Rafe threw her to the ground, bound her feet and tossed her over his shoulder. He, Brannon, and Killenn took turns carrying her the rest of the way. The humiliation alone seemed to quiet her but during the moments she did act up whoever was carrying her dropped her decisively to the ground.
A twinge of remorse fluttered through Kai as Marlee writhed on the ground cursing at the three warriors.
The Keltie fae had not been seen since the sun rose and Kai assumed, they had disappeared back into their own plane of existence. It was mid-morning and Sebastian said they most likely had until nightfall to find an answer before the Keltie would emerge and try to reacquire Marlee.
The scent of fragrant flowers greeted them as they entered the grove. Long lines of fruit trees as far as the eye could see bloomed. Renewed by the magic flowing freely back into the realm the small flowers exploded on the branches creating a canvas of bright colors.
A dirt path wound its way through the grove leading to the entrance of the Druid Sanctuary. Near the end, the path expanded bordered by stunning white trees on either side.
Kai stood beside one of the trees.