by S. J. West
“I doubt Daniel knows what’s going on,” I say to Mason, “unless monks secretly watch TV.”
“My guess would be that he doesn’t know,” Mason agrees. “You look in that temple,” Mason says, nodding to the one behind me, “and I’ll look in the other one.”
I run over to the red-walled and black-roofed temple to look for Jai Lin or Daniel. When I step inside, I’m met by the putrid scent of decomposing flesh. The infected monks are sitting inside the temple, with their legs crossed and incense burning all around them. I’m not sure if the incense serves as a ritualistic component, or if it’s meant to temper the smell of their decaying bodies. All of them are chanting a mantra that I don’t understand, but I hope it brings them some comfort.
I quickly scan the room, but don’t see Jai Lin or Daniel anywhere. I run back out to the courtyard just as Mason steps out of the temple he checked.
“Did you find them?” I ask urgently.
Mason shakes his head. “No. Check the large pavilion behind the temple. I’ll check the other two pavilions. Maybe she went to one of them for some reason.”
I turn around to run behind the temple I just looked inside, and make my way to the largest of the three gold pavilions. It’s the one Leah and I were standing by when we first learned how to combine our powers to obliterate the flocks. When I reach it, I see that the windows are still blown out from when the birds flew through the building.
As I approach the pavilion, I begin to seriously doubt Jai Lin will be inside it, considering all the shattered glass surrounding the perimeter. I’m just about to turn around and go back toward the temples when I hear the faint sound of weeping. I peer through the broken windows of the pavilion and spot Jai Lin standing on the other side of it. Without wasting time, I run around the building to reach her. When I’m only a few yards away from where she stands, I stop dead in my tracks.
Jai Lin is standing on the other side of the wooden guardrail, a safety measure meant to keep visitors from falling off the mountain peak. At this elevation, the strong wind makes her long white dress and waist-length black hair flutter behind her, giving her figure a ghostly appearance. As I come within reach of Jai Lin, the sound of her sobbing grows louder. I don’t say anything to her right away. Even if throwing herself off the mountain isn’t her plan, I fear hearing my voice might inadvertently startle her and cause her to take a misstep off the edge of the cliff. Then again, if leaping off the mountain is exactly what she plans, she might jump before I can reach her. Keeping these possibilities in mind, I attempt to make my way to her as quietly as possible. Apparently, I need to practice my ninja skills some more, because Jai Lin turns her head to look straight at me.
“Go away!” she screams at me hysterically, certain madness in her eyes that only the desperate have.
“Jai Lin, what are you doing?” I ask her in a calm voice, continuing to make my way towards her.
Jai Lin begins to shake her head vigorously. “You just don’t understand,” she tells me through her tears. “This is my fault. I should have been stronger for them!”
“What’s your fault?” I ask, assuming if I can keep her talking, it will give me time to reach her before she does something stupid.
“All of it,” she says hopelessly. “It’s my fault. I don’t deserve to live. I shouldn’t live when so many have died because of me.”
“You haven’t caused any deaths,” I say. As far as I know, Jai Lin is one of the few world leaders willing to stand up to Ravan.
“Don’t you see them?” Jai Lin says, looking at the bare rock at her feet. “Look at them all…and it’s my fault.”
Apparently, Jai Lin is seeing something that isn’t actually there. Is she experiencing a hallucination? Could that be how the fifth seal worked? Did it cause the ones affected to imagine that their worst nightmare was actually coming true?
“What you’re seeing isn’t real, Jai Lin,” I say. “None of it’s real.”
“So much death,” Jai Lin says absently. I’m not even sure she’s aware I’m there anymore. “So many innocent lives lost, and it’s my fault. I failed them. I failed them all!”
Just as I reach out a hand to grab Jai Lin’s arm, she leans forward slightly, allowing gravity to pull her off the edge of the mountain.
I stand there in complete shock. Thankfully, Michael’s reflexes are quicker than mine. He immediately takes control of my body and flies us over the edge of the mountain, following Jai Lin’s descent. The extra folds of her billowy dress act almost like a parachute, catching the wind and slowing her fall just enough for us to catch up to her. Michael reaches out and grabs an unconscious Jai Lin around the waist with one arm. He gradually changes our trajectory, and flies us back up towards the top of the mountain.
“Why did she do that?” I ask Michael as he relinquishes his hold on my body to return control to me.
“Whatever she was seeing must have been too much for her to handle,” Michael answers.
“I hope it isn’t a permanent effect,” I say, worried that Jai Lin’s mind might become trapped in her own nightmare.
“So do I.”
I fly us directly to the open courtyard between the two temples of the monastery. Mason, Malcolm, and Jered are standing there now, watching us as I land in front of them. Malcolm promptly relieves me of Jai Lin’s weight.
“What happened?” Mason asks.
I tell them all what transpired on the mountain peak.
“She’s lucky you were the one who found her,” Malcolm says, cradling Jai Lin’s limp form in his arms. “No one else could have saved her.”
It was true. None of the Watchers could have rescued Jai Lin from her fall.
“I should go tell Brand that we have her,” Jered says before phasing.
“Brand went to Beijing,” Mason tells me, knowing I would ask. “He thought Daniel might have taken Jai Lin home early.”
“Have you seen Daniel?” I ask.
Before Mason can answer my question, Brand, Daniel, and Jered phase back into the courtyard. When Brand sees Jai Lin’s limp body in Malcolm’s arms, his expression turns from one of hope to complete devastation.
“She’s alive,” I tell him, knowing exactly what he’s thinking. “We got to her in time.”
Brand looks at me like a man who is afraid to believe the truth. He walks up to Malcolm, who is more than willing to let him take Jai Lin. If I didn’t already know Brand was in love with Jai Lin, the way he’s looking at her now would have been a dead giveaway.
“What happened, Jess?” Daniel asks me.
I tell Daniel and Brand what I know.
“Why were you in Beijing?” I ask Daniel, knowing that, as Jai Lin’s personal bodyguard, he rarely leaves her side.
“She asked me to go back and retrieve some things for her in the palace,” Daniel tells us. “I haven’t been gone for very long, but apparently it was enough time for her to almost kill herself.”
“And you say it seemed like she was seeing something that wasn’t there?” Brand asks me, trying to make sense of what took place. “Like she was having a hallucination?”
“Yes,” I answer. “All she said was that innocent lives had been lost and that it was all her fault.”
Jai Lin stirs in Brand’s arms. When she opens her eyes, I’m glad Brand’s face is the first one she sees.
“Brand?” she says, sounding surprised to find him holding her. Her gaze takes in the rest of her surroundings before she asks him, “Why are you here? What’s going on?”
“Don’t you remember?” Brand asks softly.
Jai Lin is quiet for a moment before she gasps.
“The bodies,” she says, sounding on the verge of tears again. “All those bodies.”
“What bodies?” I ask, wanting to understand what she was seeing.
“I was standing on a hill, but it wasn’t a real hill,” Jai Lin says as Brand sets her down on her feet. “It was a mound of corpses. There were thousands of dead bodies surrounding m
e for as far as I could see. Please tell me that wasn’t real.”
“It wasn’t,” Brand reassures her, gently taking her hand.
“But it felt so real,” Jai Lin says, her eyes welling with tears. “I could feel them beneath my feet, and smell their rotting flesh in the air around me. How could something so horrible seem so real?”
“We think the princes opened the fifth seal,” Jered tells her. “You weren’t the only world leader who tried to kill themselves today. From what the news is reporting, there have been at least twelve other world leaders who committed suicide.”
“Who?” Jai Lin asks, sounding suspicious of the number of rulers who were lost that day.
Jered rattles off a list of the rulers he knows about.
“I feared you might already be dead,” Jered says. “Before I came here, they were reporting that you were.”
I watch Jai Lin’s expression transform from one of sorrow to tightly controlled anger.
“Obviously, I’m not dead,” Jai Lin says, a slight growl in her voice, “but I think I know why my name was on the list.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because the other twelve were going to join me in my attempt to prove to the world who Ravan truly is,” Jai Lin says. “They were willing to stand up with me and make the other world leaders face the truth.”
“So by opening the fifth seal,” Daniel says, “Lucian has effectively eliminated anyone in power who would openly oppose Ravan.”
“Yes.” Jai Lin says, straightening her shoulders, “but they won’t get away with it. I won’t let them.”
“What are you planning to do?” I ask, fearful for her safety, but also quietly cheering her on to stand up against what was taking place in this world.
“I think it’s time I stopped working in the shadows to bring Ravan down,” Jai Lin tells us. “It’s time for us to rise up and stand behind what we believe in. Lucian may think he’s eliminated a threat against Ravan’s reign, but he’s actually done the complete opposite. The other leaders of the world can’t just sit back and deny what’s going on right before their eyes anymore.”
“If you publicly speak out against Ravan,” Brand says, “you’ll essentially be placing a target on your back. Lucian will kill you just to make an example of you.”
“I’m willing to take that chance,” Jai Lin says, not sounding unafraid of the risks to her own life. She wasn’t that stupid. But she did sound strong enough to deal with the consequences of her own actions. “Will you help me?”
“You know I will,” Brand says without hesitation. “I’ll stand by your side and fight with you.”
“Good.”
“What can we do to help with this uprising of yours?” I ask.
“My original plan was to form a coalition of world leaders to politically discredit Ravan in the world’s eyes,” Jai Lin says. “Obviously, that isn’t a possibility anymore.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure that would have worked anyway,” I say. “I think what you need to concentrate on is getting the regular people of the world to fight alongside you. You need to show them that Ravan is only concerned about furthering her own agenda.”
“How do you suggest we do that?” Jai Lin asks, intrigued by my suggestion.
“Nothing would work better than having evidence of the real her talking about what she actually thinks about the people of this world.”
“Even if I asked for an audience with Ravan, I don’t believe she would grant it,” Jai Lin says. “And I don’t think she would be honest with me, even if I asked her point- blank questions.”
“No, she wouldn’t talk openly with you,” I agree, “but she would with me.”
“You don’t need to be anywhere near her, either,” Mason begins to argue.
“Do you have a better idea?” I ask, not seeing one myself. “I’m one of the few people who know exactly who and what she is. Her ego is so big she’ll be drooling at the opportunity to brag about the things she’s done and plans to do. Why do you think she told me she was Lilith? She wants to tell someone her dirty little secrets, and I think that someone is me.”
“It’s too risky,” Mason says, shaking his head.
“But you know I’m right,” I say.
“Right or not, I’m not going to let you put your life in danger like that.”
“All of our lives are in danger,” I tell my husband.
“Maybe we can find a way for Jess to speak with Ravan and keep her safe,” Brand says. “Lucian isn’t with her all the time, and she can’t stand the other princes. Gabriel was the only one she allowed to get close to her. Let me speak with Xavier to see if he can find a good opportunity for Jess to get the proof she needs.”
“And after we get the video,” I say, “how will we show it to the rest of the world?”
“Josh should be able to help with that,” Brand tells me. “He’s connected to the Dragon Network, and that’s connected to every functioning satellite serving the rest of the world. All he needs is something to broadcast, and it will be shown on every television in the world simultaneously.”
“After the footage airs,” Jai Lin says, “I should speak so the world knows there is an alternative to Ravan’s reign. People shouldn’t live their lives thinking they have to do what someone else dictates. As you’ve said before, all they need is a strong leader to rally around. I can be that leader to get us through the turmoil Ravan and the princes are causing. My countrymen will support me and help keep me safe.”
“So will I,” Brand promises, tightening his grip on Jai Lin’s hand.
“I guess we need to speak with Xavier as soon as possible,” I say. “When can you get a message to him?”
“I’ll do it as soon as we go back to the castle,” Brand says.
“I need to return to Beijing to show my people that I’m alive and well,” Jai Lin says. “I want to check on the monks first, though. They’ve been using meditation to control the pain they’re in, so they don’t go mad like so many others have.”
“We have a way to end their pain, but it isn’t a cure. It’s a death sentence,” I tell Jai Lin. I go on to explain exactly what needs to be done.
“I’ll tell them so they know there is another option open to them,” Jai Lin says. “Please, let Leah know how sorry I am for her loss. I can’t imagine that what she did for her mother was an easy thing to do.”
“No, it wasn’t, and I’m not sure how soon she’ll be ready to help anyone else.”
“The monks are extremely patient people,” Jai Lin assures me. “Let me know when you think Leah is ready. I’m sure some of them, if not all of them, will take you up on the offer.”
“I should probably get back to the castle,” I say. “I want to make sure I’m there when she wakes up, in case she needs me.”
“Of course,” Jai Lin says, bowing her head in my direction. “It doesn’t seem like enough, but thank you for saving my life. I don’t know how I can repay you for doing that.”
“Just help us save this world,” I tell her. “That’s all I ask.”
“That is an easy promise to make,” she tells me.
Mason phases us back to the living room in the castle. I have it set in my mind that I’ll go up and check on Leah, but it’s quickly changed when I see who is waiting for us in the room.
Desmond and Slade are there, watching the news with a couple dozen other people.
“Desmond,” Mason calls out, pulling the attention of the two men away from the news broadcast.
As they walk over to us, Slade says, “I finally have some good news for you. I found Horace, and he says he knows exactly where King Solomon’s tomb is.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“It’s nice to have some good news for once,” I say, feeling some relief that we are making progress on at least one front. “Is he willing to take us there?”
Slade lifts an eyebrow. “For a price.”
“His ring?” I ask, already knowing what price the Horace on
our Earth made Lilly pay for his help once upon a time.
“Yes,” Slade answers with a worried frown. “The only problem is…I have no idea how we’ll find it. Horace has been searching for it for years with no luck. I’m not even sure where to start looking.”
“Faust has it,” I say.
Slade looks surprised by my intimate knowledge on a subject he probably just learned about himself. “How do you know that?”
“We had a similar situation occur on our Earth,” I say, not wanting Slade to think I have precognitive abilities.
“How did you get Horace’s ring back from Faust on your Earth?”
“The person who retrieved it used King Solomon’s ring on Faust,” Mason answers. “If we’re lucky, maybe we can find the ring in the tomb while we’re there and use the same trick here.”
“Where is Horace now?” I ask.
“He’s been hiding in a bar in Kathmandu,” Slade tells me. “The only reason I was able to find him is because a fellow Watcher owns it. It was pure chance that he heard I was looking for Horace.”
“Brutus?” Mason questions, sounding amused.
Slade nods his head. “Yeah. How did you…” Slade pauses and just shakes his head. “Never mind. I just need to remember to assume your foresight is because it’s already happened in your world.”
“Brutus hasn’t bought the bar yet,” Mason says, sounding like it’s only a matter of time before it takes place in our reality, “but it is one of his favorite places to go. I’m confused about something, though. If Brutus knew you were looking for Horace, why did it take you so long to locate him?”
“Brutus pretty much pulled away from all of us when the Watchers took the world over,” Desmond explains. “He didn’t want to get caught in the middle. He told me he was more of a lover than a fighter, and that this fight wasn’t one he wanted to be involved in. So, he bought the bar and cut off all communications with the rest of us after that, at least until now. He just happened to hear through the grapevine that we were searching for Horace.”