“Don’t throw in the towel yet, angel. The way I see it, you still have the element of surprise on your side. Even if the Servants know your souls have fused, I doubt they understand the full extent of what that means.”
“We don’t even know the extent of what it means,” Quinn admitted in frustration.
“I am not sure any of us has achieved the clarity we seek when it comes to the two of you,” Ronald also conceded.
“Well, can you at least fill in some of the blanks for us?” I asked.
Ronald sighed and nodded. “Your pairing was not completely a result of chance. The Order of the Realms requested a pair of true soul mates be created. Aside from a short criteria list, the Order gave the Three Sisters the freedom to choose which souls to mark and, for whatever reason, they chose the two of you.” Ronald smiled.
“Why did the Order want a pair of true soul mates in the first place?” Quinn asked.
“For centuries now, the Servants have been hoping to start a rebellion and end the reign of the Order, but the Servants hadn’t taken any definitive steps. They were ‘all talk,’ as they say, at least until a couple of centuries ago when the Order got wind of some of the Servants’ underground mobilization efforts. Apparently, Mathius convinced a few other demonic clans in the Underworld that it would be to their benefit to join the Servants in a plot to take over the Realms.”
“Convinced or threatened?” Quinn asked.
“You can use the term interchangeably in this case,” Ronald said. “The Servants also began to strengthen their forces from within the clan. Nevertheless, only during the last few decades did Mathius’s scheming begin to pique the Order’s concern. In response, it was decided to create two true soul mates.”
“Why? What changed?” I inquired.
“Nothing and everything,” Ronald responded. “Mathius’s thirst for power, which resulted in him being stripped of his role as a Founder, has not diminished over time. If anything, it’s only grown.”
“Mathius broke the rules by handpicking souls and returning them to Earth,” I reminded Quinn. “He masterminded his own private mortal army behind the Founders’ backs and manipulated humanity’s fate to serve his own purposes until he got caught.”
“And his greed and desire to conquer still drive him,” Ronald added. “What has changed, however, is the accuracy and breadth of our intelligence on Mathius and his clan. Over the past century, we have not only discovered the means by which he plans to defeat all the Realms, but when he plans to make his move.”
“And that’s where Evie and I come into all of this? Is that why Mathius wants to recruit me?” Quinn asked.
“Yes, and yes. Mathius believes you have something he desperately wants, something that will give him the victory he seeks in his battle against the Order.” Ronald stopped to take a look around the park. “I fear it might be getting a little too crowded for comfort,” he muttered under his breath. “Why don’t we have your colleague, Dylan, take us somewhere a little more remote, hmm?” Ronald looked in the direction of where, I presumed, Dylan and Minerva were standing invisibly. “Somewhere tucked away? A little piece of Heaven on Earth, perhaps?” he continued telepathically.
“How do you feel about swank Manhattan penthouses?” Dylan asked, stepping out from behind a tree for all to see.
“I feel quite partial towards them, actually,” Ronald replied, grinning from ear to ear.
*
Once Ronald toured the penthouse in the sky, marveling at every turn, he settled into the plush black couch along with Dylan, Minerva, Quinn, and myself.
“Shortly after Mathius was cast out,” Ronald began, “the Order realized they needed to have more than one of its members watching over unbound souls. Thus, the Order created Heaven and Purgatory to safeguard the souls behind locked doors of the respective chambers. The Order then appointed two members, called Keepers, to watch over the souls, entrusting each Keeper with one of two Consecrated Keys, used to access both Heaven and Purgatory. To this day, the Keepers are the only ones who know the location of their own Key.
“Nevertheless, history is nothing if not a wise teacher. There was concern the new Keepers eventually might succumb to the same greed that infected Mathius, so the Order instituted a system of checks and balances. The two Keepers were to work in tandem, recycling souls within the confines of established guidelines and procedures. As another precaution, it was decided that two additional Consecrated Keys be created and their locations kept a secret from the Keepers in case either Keeper ever became corrupt and the Order to have to intervene. These keys can only be accessed by a majority vote of the Order and with the assistance of the Three Sisters of Fate. Until that time, however, both keys remain hidden.”
“Hidden where?” I asked, completely enthralled by the story.
“In two human souls.” Ronald looked at Quinn.
“Excuse me?” Dylan asked.
“Of course, the Keys get recycled over time. The head of the Order, Othniel, works with Harmonia, one of the Three Sisters, to select the souls to be tagged. Harmonia then weaves a unique homing device of sorts into the Key, tags the soul, and together Othniel and Harmonia implant that soul into a new human life. When that human being expires, the Key is immediately removed, re-implanted into another mortal, and tracked by the Sisters.”
“You’re messing with us,” Quinn remarked. “This is some kind of joke, right?”
“I couldn’t be more serious. The process is designed so only the members of the Order—less the Keepers of course—and the Three Sisters know the identities of the two humans in which the Consecrated Keys have been implanted.”
“So, why tell us? What does this have to do with me?” Quinn’s words faded as he asked the question, and his expression changed from one of confusion to one of alarm. The same thought that had popped into my mind must’ve popped into his as well.
“Because Ronald knows you have the Key. Isn’t that right?” I asked Ronald.
“Yes,” Ronald replied matter-of-factly. “As advisor to the Order, I am privy to the identities of the two mortals who hold the Keys.”
Quinn exhaled loudly and stood up. “I need some air,” he announced, running his hand through his hair before walking around the couch and down the hall towards the junior suite.
“So, you’ve known all along?” I asked Ronald when I heard the door to the suite shut. I felt my voice catch in my throat. I suddenly felt so betrayed.
“I warned you there were certain things I could not tell you, angel,” Ronald stated ruefully. “And I still shouldn’t be sharing this information with you. What I am revealing cannot leave the sanctity of these four walls. Understood?”
“Yes,” we all stated.
“How did Mathius figure out the Key was attached to Quinn’s soul?” I demanded.
“We believe Mathius only suspects Quinn possesses the Key.”
“Why does he suspect Quinn? Why not anyone else?” Dylan asked.
“Oh, Quinn is certainly not alone,” Ronald assured us. “Mathius has been after these Keys for centuries. Why do you think the Servants target humans?”
“Wait—so that’s why the Servants have been targeting humans all this time?” Minerva inquired. “To see if any of them have one of these Keys?”
“Yes.”
“This sounds outrageous. You know that, right?” Dylan shook his head in disbelief.
“Yes,” Ronald repeated.
“But, I thought—” The more I thought about all of this, the more irritated I became at learning this information so late in the game. “I was told the Servants only targeted those humans they believed might interfere with their ‘master plan to rule the universe.’”
“And what would you call hundreds, if not thousands, of unsuspecting humans—each of whom, in Mathius’s eyes, possibly could be harboring one of two Keys he needs to unlock millions of unbound souls for the taking?” Ronald’s calm demeanor didn’t waver.
“A major pain
in his ass,” Dylan replied.
Ronald nodded. “At first, the Servants seemed to have no rhyme or reason when it came to choosing their victims, and the Order felt relatively confident the hidden-key system they’d implemented was foolproof. But the Servants’ targeting patterns have become more focused throughout the last century, and their victims less random. And if something is not done soon to stop the Servants, they will find a key, allowing them to gain the tactical advantage and position themselves to back the Order into a corner.”
“If that’s true, then how come this is the first time we’re hearing about any of this?” I demanded. “I mean, shouldn’t this be part of Shepherd 101 or something?”
Ronald just sat there for a minute, as if thinking of what to say—or what not to say.
“They don’t want anyone else to know,” Minerva interjected, looking like she’d just solved a riddle. “Not Shepherds, not Watchers—no one but themselves.”
“Is Minerva right?” I asked Ronald in disbelief. “We’ve been kept in the dark on purpose?”
Ronald nodded slowly.
“How can this information be withheld from us when we’re the ones charged with protecting these humans?” I exclaimed angrily.
“That is exactly why the Order decided it was best to limit who has access to this information,” Ronald replied. “Imagine how you would’ve treated Quinn if you knew that hidden within his soul was the Key to unlocking the gates to Heaven and Purgatory—if you knew what the Servants could do with that Key if they got their hands on it. You cannot, in good faith, claim such information would have left you unaffected. Ask yourself, how much more protective would you have acted? Enough to tip the Servants off, perhaps?”
“I think I could’ve kept a pretty good poker face,” I replied defensively.
He shot me a dubious glance. “Even if that were the case, could you say the same about all of your colleagues. Would you risk the safety of their charges?”
“So if we’re not supposed to ever know about these Keys, why are you telling us now?” Dylan asked.
“Because we’re in a state of emergency,” he continued. “The Servants are hell-bent on converting Quinn, and if they get to his soul first—if they get their hands on that Key …” Ronald trailed off.
“All hell will break loose,” Dylan added in the wake of Ronald’s silence.
“That is why the Order will not let that occur. They will intercede if necessary.” Ronald shot me a piercing look. “Do you understand what I mean by this?”
Instantly, I flashed back to my first conversation with Tara after being reassigned to Quinn, and her cautionary words—“The Order’s directive is clear: Quinn’s conversion is to be prevented at all costs … if you fail, the Order will take matters into their own hands.”
“Perfectly,” I nearly whispered, feeling like I was about to buckle under the weight of what Ronald was saying: The Order would kill Quinn and remove the Key before letting the Servants get their hands on his soul.
Just then, Quinn walked back into the room, snapping me out of my daze. I stood up and made my way over to where he stood. I looked into his eyes and could see the torrent of emotions swirling within them—anger, confusion, hurt, and fear. I reached out and touched his hand gently, not knowing any other way to let him know I was there for him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into one of the tightest embraces he’d ever given me, burying his head into my hair. I could feel his hot breath in the crook of my neck as he sighed heavily.
“Hey, we’re gonna get through this,” I whispered to him.
He looked up at me and nodded once, unconvincingly, before leading me as stoically as he could back to the couch.
“I still don’t get it,” Dylan began when Quinn and I were both seated. “What’s the big deal if this Mathius guy gets the Key?”
“Souls are immortal currency,” Ronald explained. “There are only a finite number of them, and those who possess the most souls have the most power. They get to call the shots. Those with the most souls get to decide how to use them.”
“But don’t the Servants have their own chamber of souls in Hell?” I inquired. “I thought Mathius hijacked a bunch of them before he was cast out as a member of the Founders.”
“Yes, many souls are trapped in the Underworld, and while that number continues to increase, it is nowhere near the multitude of souls in either Heaven or Purgatory. And Mathius knows better than to go after either Keeper—the Order has had protocols in place for many centuries, preparing for that exact scenario. But, if Mathius can locate one of the humans whose soul has been tagged and grab the Key, he’s one step closer to taking possession of the souls in either chamber, which would push his overall number into the majority, allowing him to assume power over all the Realms.”
“And the members of the Order—they really believe he can succeed?” Quinn asked.
“The possibility exists. I have seen it. After all, Mathius not only knows the location of the Order’s Realm, but he also knows most of the members’ defenses, weaknesses, and secrets. And, he knows where the souls are kept. All he needs is a Key and an army to lead him to victory.”
“So now that the Servants think Quinn has a Key, can’t one of the Sisters just yank it out of him and stick it in someone else?” Dylan asked. Quinn and I both looked at Ronald hopefully, praying there was a quick fix to this situation.
“No.” Ronald sighed. “Once a soul is tagged with a Key and implanted, the only way to access the Key again is at the moment of death, for that is the moment when the soul separates from the body. That is when you can see the Key and remove it.”
“So, what, you see the soul, you find the Key, and then you can just grab it?” Dylan asked.
“Essentially, although the Sisters do it in such a way as to not harm the delicate soul. I doubt the Servants are that conscientious when it comes to preserving the integrity of individual souls. That is particularly true when performing the conversion ritual—” Ronald stopped short and looked at Quinn.
“It’s okay. I need to hear this,” Quinn urged.
Ronald took a deep breath and nodded. “During the conversion ritual, the soul must be forcibly removed from the body and destroyed, affording Mathius convenient access to the Key.”
With each additional detail Ronald revealed, I felt more and more ill. I glanced over at Quinn; he didn’t look he was faring much better. Ronald had dropped a huge bomb on him—on all of us. And as much as I wished Quinn wasn’t part of this discussion, I knew better than to ask him to leave. This was his life, and he’d made it very clear he wanted to know all the risks threatening it. I just hoped he was handling all of this better than I was at the moment.
“Has Mathius ever gotten his hands on a Key?” Minerva asked.
“Almost—once,” Ronald replied. “Thankfully, Evie’s Shepherd reacted quickly enough and saved the day.”
I snapped my head up and looked Ronald in shock. “I had one of the Keys?”
“Yes. As soon as your souls were earmarked for one another, Quinn’s soul was tagged, and months later, he was born. And when it was your soul’s turn to be recycled, the mortal whose soul had been tagged with the other Key died unexpectedly, allowing you to become the other carrier.”
“Yeah, right,” Dylan remarked skeptically. “You expect us to believe some poor latchkey dude just happened to kick the bucket ‘unexpectedly’ right before K.C. was born? C’mon, that’s just way too convenient to be a coincidence in my book. What do you think?” he asked Quinn.
“I think I’m reevaluating what it means to be true soul mates. It all goes back to a couple of damn keys. Our souls are bound by them. That’s the only reason why Evie and I have such a strong connection, isn’t it?”
I felt like I’d been slapped in the face. Quinn sounded like he’d just discovered we were part of some toxic clinical trial. I looked at him, trying to will him to turn my way so I could determine whether his eyes told the same story, but he wouldn’t br
eak eye contact with Ronald.
“If you would’ve posed this question to me a couple of years ago, I might have agreed with you, but such cannot be the case now,” Ronald replied.
“And why’s that?” I asked anxiously, wanting—no, needing—some assurance that what Quinn and I had ran deeper than merely being used as a couple of living safety deposit boxes.
“Because once Evie died, the Key was removed from her soul and implanted in a new mortal host.”
“So I haven’t had the Key the entire time I’ve been a Shepherd?” I asked optimistically, eagerly awaiting Ronald’s affirmation that Quinn’s and my feelings for each had been genuine all along.
“The Key was removed well before you became Quinn’s Shepherd,” he assured me.
I sighed in quiet relief and glanced over again at Quinn. He, too, seemed to visibly relax some. I stretched my pinky finger out towards his neighboring hand and, without even looking, he met me half way, linking his little finger with mine. We both knew we’d fallen in love for the right reasons.
“Does Mathius know Evie no longer has a Key?” Minerva asked.
“Yes. Only a mortal soul can carry a Key. A few years ago, our sources revealed that the Servants had figured out both Evie and Quinn were one of two soul mates—not necessarily true soul mates, mind you, and not necessarily mated for one another. This information was enough to red flag both of them as likely candidates, who might possess a Key. As Evie was already involved with another, the wrong other I might add,” Ronald said, winking at me. “Mr. Ryan Walker had also been flagged.” He looked at Quinn. “That was until your eager persistence to win Evie over gave your pairing away,” Ronald teased with a slight grin.
“Was it my fault that Evie was targeted by the Servants before me?” Quinn asked hesitantly.
“What? No, of course not,” Ronald replied emphatically. “Evie’s demise had been plotted before she’d even met you. She was not destined to survive her nineteenth birthday—and she knew it. If anything, your pursuing her only moved you up to join her at the top of the Servants’ hit list.”
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