by Amy Marie
Out of the office, into the hallway, and I’m running. The corridors are deserted at this hour. My steps slow. I don’t have time to search every room!
Uncle Mike, where are you?
The plea stays silent in my mind. But the echo of an answer somehow finds its way back to me.
Books.
If the destructor is searching for the Statera, he’ll make Uncle Mike tell him where the book is. When he refuses, he’ll search every book in this building until he finds it.
The library!
The pace of my heart picks up its rhythm and pounds in my ears as I run toward the theological library. My shoes screech on the vinyl tile as I round the corner to the link-building access to the library.
My gaze turns to the side, and I recognize the Sperry Room. It’s the lecture hall that holds the printers’ marks on the windows.
Where it all started.
I take a deep breath and move on to the library entrance. Stopping just outside, I put my ear to the door.
Nothing.
As quietly as I can, I open the door and slip inside.
The library should be dark at this hour, but a dim light casts long shadows on the rows and rows of bookshelves. The normal feeling of comfort the library has always given me is gone, replaced by panic.
I hold my breath, hoping to catch the sound of Uncle Mike’s whereabouts, but dead silence fills my ears.
Slowly, I creep my way along the aisles. As I move through the towering bookshelves, the dust that has stirred into the air from my passage fills my nose.
My mouth is dry. I can almost taste my own fear.
The whisper of danger tickles the back of my neck in an all too familiar feeling.
No, it’s something else. My head turns toward the sound. Someone’s speaking in a low voice nearby.
I crouch along a line of bookshelves and move toward the sound. I attempt to peek between the shelves. There’s a cloaked figure circling something. As the figure moves out of the way, Uncle Mike comes into view, bound and gagged in a chair.
The sight provokes me. I hold my breath in an effort to control my emotions. I don’t want to accidentally use my power. I need to come up with a rational plan.
The scene unfolds as the cloaked figure slaps Uncle Mike back into his senses. The destructor’s gloved hand unsheathes another gold dagger, tracing the blade along Uncle Mike’s skin. The blade of the knife tucks under the fabric gagging Uncle Mike’s mouth and slides it down around his neck.
“Where are you hiding the book, Michael?”
The voiced question sounds strange in my ears. It’s not what I was expecting. The whispered question that escaped from the hood of the cloak wasn’t Talbot’s voice. The destructor’s voice was the whispering voice… of a woman.
Chapter 25
I’m lost in a moment of confusion.
A woman? Who is she? Could it be Emily?
A brief memory of Char’s accusation hits me with the answer.
Lilly?
It makes sense now. The element guide was a pretender. Lilly must’ve been working with Talbot all along.
I’m filled with resentful emotion. I’m angry at Lilly for her deception, but I’m even more angry at myself for believing her. Everyone saw her for what she was, except me.
More guilt at the loss we’ve suffered weighs down on me. If I could’ve recognized Lilly for what she was, maybe Selma, Eddie, and Aria would still be alive?
Tears fill my eyes at the thought, and a violent thirst for vengeance fills my soul.
My eyes target the cloaked figure, as her continued threats to Uncle Mike are lost to my ears in anger.
Did this woman smile in my face and set the bomb that killed my parents? Does she think she can take more of my family away?
My anger builds and my hands begin to shake.
Uncle Mike’s response to the destructor interrupts my thoughts.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to kill me, my lady. You see, the book is much more valuable than my life. I myself have discovered and added something just today that can take us farther than any before us. I can see how upsetting that can be for your side of things.” He gives a lazy, wrinkled grin up into the face of his death, and his eyes still manage to twinkle.
“You do not fear death, old man?” is the hooded figure’s response.
“Bloody hell, why would I? The only fear I have is facing my wife in the next life. She’ll be quite miffed I’ve kept her waiting this long.”
The destructor moves the dagger to Uncle Mike’s throat. I instinctively move from my crouched position, ready to attack. Uncle Mike’s eyes dart my way, but his quick thinking keeps the destructor too distracted to notice me.
“Where is Talbot?” he asks, keeping the cloaked figure talking.
“Perhaps your foolish friends will find out,” she says in a cryptic voice.
Darcy.
With everything that’s happened, I completely forgot the danger that the others might be in. I don’t have my phone to warn them.
“If you plan to kill me, why wear the cloak?”
“Our plan is to destroy you all. But first, the book.”
“Destroying the book will do nothing. We know too much. The information is digitalized, encrypted, and stored on several servers hidden throughout the globe. You’ll never be able to erase the information,” he says, fighting for time.
“Technology can be so easily manipulated. It is nothing compared to the powers at hand. You know nothing,” the woman’s deep voice croaks. “You have one last chance, guardian. The book, now.”
I’m ready to throw myself at the cloaked figure, but I’m gripped on the back of my arms and pulled behind a nearby shelf. I struggle for a moment with a shadowed figure that restrains me.
I turn to face my captor. Dark eyes stare back at me as Lilly puts her finger up to her mouth in a gesture of silence to quiet my unguarded reaction. My eyes dart from the woman in front of me, back to the cloaked figure, and back again.
What the…?
My mind is slow to process my mistake.
Lilly is here. But then, who is under the cloak?
There are so many questions, but they’ll have to wait. I turn back to Uncle Mike and the threat of the dagger is too close for comfort.
I have to stop this mystery destructor.
Lilly waves her hands to grab my attention. She points to herself, then points to one side of the shelf and gestures for me to go around the other side. We’ll take down the destructor from both sides in a surprise attack.
For lack of a better plan, I nod my head and move into position. Lilly’s fingers silently countdown from three.
At one, we both launch from our positions, surprising both Uncle Mike and the female destructor. The force of my body knocks the dagger out of the destructor’s hands. Turning around, the cloaked figure straightens up to face me.
My eyes search past the hood, but can’t make out a face in the dim lighting.
In my peripheral vision, Lilly is helping Uncle Mike with his bindings.
I’ll have to give them time to get away. But how do I fight a destructor?
By instinct, I do the only thing that comes to mind. My body plows full force into the hooded figure and we wrestle for power, slamming against shelves and knocking down books. We’re on the ground, and I’m nearly out of breath from a blow to the stomach.
Rolling over, I attempt to get away, but I’m dragged back into the grips of the destructor as we struggle for control. Gloved hands close in on my neck, but I thrust my fist up into the hood, catching contact with whatever lies beneath.
After being stunned for a fraction of a second, the destructor attempts to reach for the discarded dagger, but my foot finds it first, and kicks it over toward Lilly to help with Uncle Mike’s constraints.
I’m grabbed from behind in a choke hold, but I do my best to back up into the shelves behind me with enough force to knock the destructor off my back. The impact knocks over the
shelves of books in a domino effect.
Taking a big gulp of the air I was denied, I turn back and reach instinctively for the hood of the cloak to reveal the face of the mystery woman. My hand is caught mid-air and my arm is twisted behind my back. I’m thrown into the nearest standing shelf, hitting my head with force, and I fall to the ground.
My blurry view from the floor shows Uncle Mike almost free of his bindings. Lilly turns and finds me on the floor. She instinctively steps between Uncle Mike and the destructor, holding the dagger out in defense.
The cloaked figure and Lilly dance in a dodging attack. In their struggle, the dagger again gets knocked away to the ground.
My vision is tilting, as I’m dancing on the brink of consciousness myself.
I close my eyes to the swaying room and force myself to hang on.
When my eyes open again, I find the destructor and Lilly in a locked embrace of battle. Lilly is knocked to the side and reaches for the dagger near her feet at the floor.
I reach for the largest hardcover book I can find from the nearest shelf. Breathing heavily, I stand and heave the book up over my head ready to bring it down on the hood of the cloak.
At the same moment, Lilly moves forward and plunges the gold dagger into the body of the cloak, right into the heart of the destructor. But the destructor moves too fast, and redirects the stab right into Uncle Mike’s stomach.
The book I’m holding falls from my grasp in slow motion.
Time stops, and every sense I have is burning in this moment. Any power I possess is helpless against the possibility of losing the man who brought me into the knowledge of the Statera. My tongue is dry and swollen in my throat as I scream out my pain.
I move to my guardian. Removing the dagger, I press down on the wound. I can’t stop the blood – it’s flowing too fast.
I’m stunned in the moment, unsure of what’s taking place behind me. I hear more of a struggle and my eyes follow the body of the destructor as she falls to the floor at my side, producing a large pool of blood beneath her.
I’m confused, justified, and terrorized at the same time watching the scene of death unfold before me. In a disconnected manner, I feel the fading of energy all around me.
Removing the rest of Uncle Mike’s bindings, I cradle him in my arms as he struggles for breath.
Tears are flowing from my eyes, and my vision blurs.
“Uncle Mike… Uncle Mike, please stay with me,” I beg.
His gasping breath can barely form words.
“The book…” he trails off in a painful whisper.
“The Statera is safe. Please, Uncle Mike, I need you to stay.” If I could heal him by sheer will, I would. But my power stays dormant inside, and is shrinking away as he dies in my arms.
His hand grasps mine.
My eyes meet his, and I hope for every part of my soul to show him what he means to me. He’s my family. I feel a warmth pass between us, and the corners of his mouth turn up the slightest bit. His eyes go out of focus.
And then he’s gone.
The ugly scent of copper fills the air hinting at the blood around me. It masks Uncle Mike’s usual comforting smell of talcum powder, and the earth garden he likes to tend. I draw in a painful breath, knowing that his smell will only be a memory from now on.
I hug the shell he left behind tighter as my body is wracked with sobs.
After a few moments, Lilly gently touches my shoulder.
“We can’t stay here.”
I nod, understanding the danger, but not wanting to let go of what’s left of my guardian. I lay Uncle Mike down well away from the body of the destructor and close his eyes.
“What should we do with him?” she asks me.
“I don’t know. I suppose he’ll have to stay here until Darcy can come make arrangements.”
“What about her?” Lilly moves to crouch next to the cloaked body. She looks up to me and asks, “Do you want to know?”
I have to know. I nod my head.
Lilly’s hand moves to pull back the hood of the cloak.
The pinched and bitter face of an older woman stares up to the ceiling in death. If it’s possible, Mrs. Spacey’s eyes are less vacant now than they were in life.
My mind can barely process the revelation.
“Mrs. Spacey?” my voice comes out in just a whisper.
“You know this woman?” Lilly asks.
“Yes, no. Well, I thought I did,” I stammer.
Mrs. Spacey. Uncle Mike’s secretary. I now understand her absentmindedness and vacant expression. She must’ve been controlled by Talbot for some time now.
But for how long?
“Let’s get back to the sanctuary,” I say, remembering the fire.
If Mrs. Spacey was being controlled, Talbot must be nearby.
We walk at a slow pace back through Andover Hall to Uncle Mike’s office. I lead the way, while Lilly trails slightly behind, head bowed.
With every step I take, silent tears fall and my mind grasps for an explanation.
We’ve been living in close proximity of the second destructor, seeing her on a daily basis. She must’ve been spying for Talbot. She knew our every move, that’s why he was always one step ahead of us.
Lilly’s footsteps echo behind me, and I’m reminded of my shameful assumption.
But how did Lilly get here?
The voiced question pops up in my head.
I wipe my eyes and brush off the strange feeling, worrying that Talbot must be near. We need to get to the sanctuary and get the fire going. We need the element safeguard.
Lilly follows me down through the secret passage that leads to the sanctuary below. She cautiously follows my lead, and her eyes go wide as she enters the great room. Her gaze moves through the room in wonder. It stops at the hearth. The fire is missing.
“I’ll get the fire started,” I say automatically in reaction. I reach for the wood nearby to stack into the hearth, but Lilly stops me.
“I can take care of that. Check on the others. Do what you need to do,” she says with kind words. I almost feel grateful to have her here.
I move toward the room I share with Darcy, but stop when I see Uncle Mike’s book lying on the table.
The echo of Uncle Mike’s dying words play in my mind.
“The book…”
Casually looking back to make sure Lilly’s focus is on the fire, I scoop up the copy of Paradise Lost and move towards the bedroom saying over my shoulder, “I’m just going to check my phone for any messages.”
Safely in the room, I turn the book over to find the page that Uncle Mike had bookmarked. Verse 724 that mentions the garden of Eden has been flagged. The words Snakie Sorceress are underlined. Off the side, in the margin are three words written in Uncle Mike’s handwriting:
Adam’s first wife?
I look up to the ceiling in thought. Adam had a first wife?
My history classes dabbled in religious studies and sometimes myths. But I can barely recall the Jewish folklore that mentions something like this.
I set the book down and move to my phone.
There are several missed calls on my home screen, but in pressing curiosity, my finger moves to the browser and types in the words ‘Adam’s first wife’, to see what comes up in the search engine.
The results of the search cause me to stagger.
My hands shake as I flick the screen to scroll through the numerous results that all say the same thing. According to religious myth, Adam’s first wife, a night demon, in league with Satan, was named: Lilith.
Lilly. Lilith. My eyes move to the door that leads to the great room, and ultimate fear takes over.
Chapter 26
My phone almost falls from my trembling hands.
I need to warn the others. They don’t even know about Uncle Mike.
The fresh reminder of his death hits me hard with stomach-clenching pain. How do I explain everything that’s happened? My mind is in a whirlwind trying to figure out
what to do.
Char’s safety is the first thing I can focus on. I send her a text, instructing her to stay in the second sanctuary with Rafe.
I chance a quick peek around the door to find Lilly still stooped by the fireplace.
Back on my phone’s screen, there are several missed calls from the others. When I try to call any of them back, the line just rings to voicemail.
Darcy, I need you.
The unspoken plea for help pops into my mind. Frustration causes me to force my eyes closed.
“Is everything alright?” Lilly’s deep voice interrupts me, and I nearly drop my phone again.
“Y-yes,” I stammer. “Just having trouble getting ahold of Darcy.”
“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” she says with meaning.
“Did you get the fire going?” I ask, already dreading the answer.
“I was having trouble. Perhaps we should wait for help?”
“I’d really like to get it going,” I say. Doing my best to keep calm, I move past her into the great room.
“I’ve used all the matches,” she says to my back.
With a slow turn, our eyes lock, and she levels a cold empty stare into my soul.
Does she know that I know?
I need a distraction. My face gives me away too easily. I turn away.
“What is it?” she asks.
“I…I can’t stop thinking about Uncle Mike,” I say, wiping my eyes to hide from her piercing gaze.
“Yes, I’m sorry. He was a brave man. I was wondering… he mentioned adding some information to the book recently. Do you know what he was talking about?” she asks.
I freeze up, remembering his words as well. Could it have had to do with Lilith? Did Uncle Mike figure out Lilly’s secret and record it, just in case?
With my best effort, I choke out a small sob. I’m a terrible actress, but my genuine mourning helps the effort. “I just can’t think right now,” I cry.
Rough hands grab my arm from behind.
I’m yanked around to face Lilly, our noses are just inches apart.
“Your light dims when you cry. But it is stronger than ever, and you are not crying. You are hiding something. Tell me light, have you figured out my secret?”
The pounding of my heart vibrates up into my throat. I attempt to twist out of Lilly’s grasp, but she holds tighter.