The Crystal Lake

by L. J. LaBarthe

  “Forgive me.”

  “Of course,” Gabriel said. “I’ll give ’em a ring now, and then we’ll head over there.”

  “As you say.”

  “Wait, where are the boys now?” Gabriel paused in the act of digging his cellphone out of the pocket of his jeans.

  “They are taking rooms at a hotel near the cemetery. Baxter said he would text me the location.”

  “Oh. Okay then.” Gabriel pulled out his cell and dialed Minnie’s number.

  She answered on the third ring, and she sounded slightly breathless. Gabriel’s eyebrows shot up for the second time that day as she burst out laughing after he said his name.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “We were just talking about you,” Minnie said. “You’ve got quite a reputation among the Venatores, General.”

  Gabriel scowled. “Great. Are you kids mocking my mighty prowess?”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, sir!” Gabriel could hear the giggles in the background.

  “Okay, well, I don’t need my titles all the time, yeah? But what I do need are some amulets.” Quickly, he explained, and as he talked, Minnie’s voice became serious, thoughtful.

  “Something like that, I’m going to need some serious crystals.”

  “As opposed to comedy crystals?”

  She laughed. “Oh you. You know what I mean.”

  “Aye, but what are these crystals you need? We’ll grab ’em on the way.”

  Minnie hummed in his ear. “First, how many amulets do you want me to make?”

  “Four immediately, and then as many as you can.”

  “One hundred, two?”

  “Say two.” Gabriel thought of something else. “I’m going to give you the number of a French witch named Eleanora. She’s in Armenia right now, but if you share the load, the job’ll get done quicker, yeah?”

  “Yeah, okay. What’s her number?”

  Gabriel gave it to her. “Tell her I’m the one who passed it on.”

  “Will do. Now, the crystal I’ll need—we’ll both need—isn’t exactly rare, but it is kind of bulky.”

  Gabriel grinned as he replied. “So are we, baby.”

  “Gabriel!” Then Minnie laughed and laughed in his ear. “You’re such a brat.”

  “I am what I was made. What’s this crystal?”

  “It’s called fulgurite. It’s a long, narrow, hollow tube created when sand is struck by lightning.” Minnie hesitated a moment. “Some of them are huge, and those are really valuable. I wouldn’t say no to a couple of those, I can break them down to amulet size and reinforce them so they don’t shatter or chip or anything like that. But you’d have to rob a museum or something.”

  Gabriel was looking at Michael as he answered. “I can think of something more immediate than theft.”

  “I’d like to hear what.”

  “Let’s just say that the Archangel Prince of Heaven, the Field Marshall of the Heavenly Host, who wields the staff of lightning in battle, is standing not two feet away.”

  “Holy crap. You’re going to get Michael to call down some lightning on a beach?”

  “I was thinking a desert, but yeah.”

  “Holy crap,” Minnie repeated and then she whistled. “That’s amazing.”

  “I thought so. We’ll be along in around an hour.”

  “Okay. Are you staying for dinner?”

  “Not this time, Minnie.”

  “Okay, but you have to next time.”

  “Scout’s honor.”

  Minnie laughed. “You? A scout? I don’t bloody think so!”

  “Hey,” Gabriel protested. “I’m bloody awesome at knots.”

  “Yeah, and I bet your prince enjoys it,” she teased.

  Gabriel blushed, feeling his cheeks heat. “Hush. We’ll be there soon,” he repeated, as she laughed in his ear. “Later.”

  He ended the call and pocketed his cellphone. Michael was gazing at him expectantly. “So,” Gabriel said, “we’re going to the Gobi Desert, and you’re going to call down some lightning to strike the sand and make us fulgurite.”

  Michael blinked, looking confused. “Forgive me, but do I understand you correctly? You wish me to cause a lightning storm to create a crystal?”

  “Aye,” Gabriel said. “You up for it?”

  “Of course, but why?”

  “It’s the crystal Minnie needs to make the protection amulets,” Gabriel said.

  “I see.” Michael nodded once. “Then of course, we must do what we can. Perhaps, however, the Sahara would be a better choice than the Gobi.”

  Gabriel gestured grandly. “You’re the one who likes sand, Mishka, so lead on.”

  Michael sighed. “It seems this is going to be one of those days,” he said, almost to himself.

  “Hey, the humor of the world keeps you young,” Gabriel said.

  “Wonderful.” Michael sighed again. “Very well. Let us go.” He placed a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, and the next thing Gabriel knew was a world made of nothing but sand.

  “Bloody hell!” He choked as he pulled up his t-shirt to cover his nose and mouth, squinting into the roiling mass of the sandstorm that surged around them. “Did you have to ’port us right into the middle of this?”

  “Forgive me,” Michael shouted. “I did not realize.”

  “Call down the lightning,” Gabriel shouted back.

  Michael nodded—or at least, Gabriel thought he did. As he watched, his eyes watering as sand and grit scrubbed at him like a giant, rough brush, Gabriel saw Michael raise his face toward the sky and lift his arms.

  At first, nothing happened. The howl of the wind blowing the sandstorm seemed to grow louder, and Gabriel unfurled his wings, curling them around himself to protect him from the buffeting force of it. And then he heard the crash of thunder and rain began to fall. Enormous drops fell, slowly at first and then in a mighty deluge, and as he lowered his t-shirt, mopping at his now-soaked face with one hand, Gabriel could smell the scent of ozone. A moment later, there was a loud crack, and lightning lit up the sky, dancing from horizon to horizon, striking the sand again and again.

  The wind had not lessened, and now, instead of driving sand, it drove the rain. Mixed in with the water were pellets of sleet that stung Gabriel’s face and hands and wings. The sand settled in a great wave of orange and yellow, and the lightning continued to dance across the barren plain of the Sahara Desert as black storm clouds roiled overhead. The storm that Michael had unleashed was angry and violent, turbulent and brutal, and Gabriel stumbled a little.

  And then as soon as it had come, the storm was gone and only the scent of muddy sand and ozone remained. Gabriel ran his hands through his sodden hair and looked at Michael in awe.

  “That was quite a storm,” he said.

  Michael’s eyes were wide. “I did not realize it would be so… extreme.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “Let’s hope we got enough of this fulgurite to justify it.”

  “As you say.” Michael started walking, his feet making squelching noises in the puddles of water that had formed in the sand. Gabriel fell into step beside him as they trudged toward the places where the lightning had struck the earth.

  “Do you think we managed to get enough?” Gabriel asked.

  “It is difficult to say. I would imagine that there would be sufficient for Minnie’s most immediate needs, however.” Michael slipped his hand into Gabriel’s. “You are very wet, da bao.”

  Gabriel laughed. “Aye, and so are you. After we drop this off to Minnie, grab the amulets for the boys, and then drop those off, we can go home and get dry.”

  Michael gave him a bright, happy smile. “I confess that I like the sound of that a very great deal.”

  They reached the first of the fulgurite crystals several minutes later, and Gabriel was amazed as he crouched down, touching one with an index finger. It was still warm, and there was a resonance to it that he couldn’t quite place. He did, however, feel a sudden sense of calm, of peace
. If that was the immediate aura of the crystal, then these would work perfectly.

  “I think we will need a sack,” Michael said from where he stood a few feet away.

  “Oh?” Gabriel stood up.

  “Yes. I appear to have caused the lightning to create quite a few of the crystal tubes.” Michael pointed.

  For several feet, there was nothing but tubes of fulgurite. The sand was completely covered.

  “Whoa,” Gabriel said. “That’s impressive.”

  Michael smiled shyly. “Thank you.” He pulled in two large potato sacks with his power, taken from, Gabriel assumed, a nearby market, to judge by the print on them. He held one out to Gabriel and Gabriel took it.

  “This lot should keep Minnie happy,” Gabriel said as he bent and began to pick up the crystals and put them in his sack.

  “I am glad,” Michael said.

  Two hours later, now damp with sweat, Gabriel hefted his sack. “I reckon we’ve stuffed as much fulgurite as we can into these. Let’s get to Minnie’s.”

  “As you say.”

  Gabriel walked over to him and slung his sack over his shoulder and reached out with his free hand to take Michael’s own. “Good to go, baby?”

  “I am,” Michael said.

  Gabriel moved them.

  Max was waiting at the gate for them and his eyes grew round as saucers as he took in the two bulging sacks they carried. “Is this some sort of crystal Christmas?” he asked.

  Gabriel laughed. “In a way, I guess it is, aye.”

  “Well, Minnie will be glad to take those off your hands. And I’m glad you’re here, because I’ve got some information for you.”

  Gabriel exchanged a glance with Michael. “What about?”

  “Our Grail problem.” Max swung open the gate. “Come on in.”

  “Thanks.” Gabriel walked into the front yard, Michael on his heels. “Hey, how’re the two Venatores doing here?”

  “Good, actually. They’re good people.” Max led the way toward the house. “They patrol the grounds at night in their shifter forms. The cat decided that the dingo is very warm, and Alethia thought that was adorable. She took a lot of photos and then posted them on something she called the Venatores social network.”

  Gabriel laughed. “There’s a Venatores social network now?”

  Michael looked puzzled. “I do not recall this.”

  “It’s just a way they keep in touch,” Max said hastily. “Nothing serious or bad or anything.”

  “Hm,” Michael said. “As you say.”

  Minnie met them at the door. “How much did you bring me?” she asked, staring at the sacks.

  “They’re full of fresh-made fulgurite,” Gabriel said. “Where do you want ’em?”

  “Wow.” Minnie gaped. Then she shook her head. “Next time I need something, I’m calling you guys. That’s amazing. Come through to my workshop.” She led the way into the house and through it toward the rear of the building and a large, spacious room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking an obviously very well-loved garden.

  “Um… just put them here,” she said, clearing a space on a large table. “I spoke to Eleanora, and she said that she can get some fulgurite in Armenia, so she’ll make a start on the amulets there. You wanted four now, is that right?” As she spoke, she bustled around the room, pulling down jars and bottles and silk pouches, a mortar and pestle and a large spool with black leather thong wound on it.

  “Aye, that’d be grand. Thanks, Minnie.”

  “No trouble at all, Gabriel. This will give me something to do tonight.” Minnie grinned at him.

  “Okay, well, while you start on that,” Max said from the doorway, “you two Archangels want to come and see what I found?”

  “Definitely,” Michael said. He gave Minnie a shallow bow. “Thank you, Minnie. I appreciate what you are doing very much.”

  Minnie smiled at him. “No problem, Mike. Hey, did you want me to make amulets for your people here, too?”

  Michael smiled in return. “That would be very kind of you, thank you. And do not neglect yourself and Max.”

  Minnie nodded. “I thought as much. I’m on it.”

  Michael gave her another bow, and then he walked out of the room with Gabriel and Max.

  “Now, this is something that I found about a day ago,” Max said as he led them back into the house and down a corridor toward the room that Gabriel remembered as being Max’s workroom.

  “I had to dig pretty deep and ask favors from a lot of shady characters who I’d rather not talk about. But in the end, it was worth it,” Max said. “There’s a small group of individuals who have been active for a while now. Well known on the antiquities black market, particularly in the areas of religious relics. Buying things like pieces of the One True Cross, shards of the stone that sealed Christ’s grave, the Ark of the Covenant, the real Dead Sea Scrolls, that sort of thing.

  “They’ve been collecting relics for the last ten or so years, my sources tell me. I was able to confirm that they bought a lot of items from the Egyptian Museum and the Libyan Museum. They also bought several items from the museum in Kabul, Afghanistan. They’ve been busy collecting. Lately, the last two years or so, they’ve sort of settled on items that related to the Holy Grail. At first, I wasn’t sure that these purchases—and a few thefts, let’s be real here—were connected, but all the artifacts were related in one way or another. They all tied in to the mythologies around the Holy Grail and the Bible lore on the death of Christ. And in the last six months, there’s been a lot of buying going on. I cross-referenced the sales and the dates, and each major sale occurred when you guys were busy with something else. Like Taytton. Or the war. Or those guys who were kidnapping and selling angels.

  “Any time you were doing something that had your whole attention, someone was stealthily buying up antiquities. And while I haven’t yet been able to get the provenances on those to see who the buyer is, I would bet that it’s Naamah or her people.”

  Gabriel pursed his lips. “This has been very well planned,” he said. “And—” He gasped as the thought came to him. “—oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

  “Gabriel, language. What is it?” Michael demanded.

  “What if all these antiquities have been bought by Naamah like Max theorizes, right, and she’s got them all together to use as part of weakening the Grail? What if she’s using these things in her spells to counter the power of God and Lucifer and Christ all at the same time?”

  Michael stared at him. “Damn.”

  “Michael!” Gabriel gaped. “You swore.”

  “It seemed appropriate.” Michael shook his head. “This is very important. I must return to Yerevan and speak with Tzadkiel immediately. Gabriel, can you take the amulets to Baxter?”

  “Aye,” Gabriel said.

  “Thank you.” Michael turned to Max. “And thank you. This is… I do not have the words. Thank you.”

  “No worries,” Max said. “That’s what you pay me for, right? Figuratively speaking.”

  “Of course. If there’s anything we can do….”

  “Yeah,” Max said. “Next time, stay for dinner.”

  Michael blinked and then bowed low. “It would be my greatest honor. Gabriel, I shall meet you at Belle Coeur.” Then he turned and rushed out of the room. Gabriel heard the sound of the door closing and, using his powers to listen further, heard Michael leave the property and teleport to Armenia.

  “This isn’t going to be a quick fix, is it, Gabe?” Max asked.

  “No, I don’t think it is,” Gabriel said. He felt suddenly very tired.

  “Coffee while you wait for Min?” Max offered.

  “Aye, that’d be welcome.” Gabriel paused a moment as he remembered something. “Here….” He pulled the photograph of the young man that had been taken from the British Library’s security footage. “This bloke’s been seen around, at the library in London, the monastery at St. Catherine’s, and the observatory in Belgium. Anything you can dig up o
n him? I want it.”

  “On it, Gabe.” Max took the photo and set it beside the nearest computer, and then he stood up and gestured toward the door. “After you, then.”

  It was an hour later when Gabriel left, teleporting from the lane at the side of Max and Minnie’s home to Canada and the run-down motel where Baxter, Riley, Declan, and Liam were staying. He listened to their report without comment, handed over the amulets, and made the four of them promise on their lives, their loves, their parents’ memories, their packs, and their souls to never take them off. Then he teleported away, returning to Belle Coeur.

  Michael was waiting for him, and Gabriel was relieved to see him. He moved to his lover and Michael moved to him. They embraced, holding tight to each other and not speaking.

  Finally, Gabriel sighed and relaxed his hold a fraction. “This is shit,” he said.

  “Language,” Michael said. “You should have heard Ondrass. I have not yet heard such eloquence from any sentient being. I believe he was inventing languages in which to curse when I left. Adramelek went straight away to speak with Lucifer.”

  “What did Tzad say?” Gabriel asked.

  Michael shook his head. “His eloquence was second only to Ondrass. Though he made one very valid point.”

  “Oh aye?”

  “Yes. We can do nothing until Raziel, Uriel, and the others return with their information.”

  Gabriel swore in Aramaic. Then he began to swear in Enochian.

  “This will take you some time, no doubt,” Michael said drily, “so I will begin preparing supper.”

  Gabriel swore some more.

  Chapter Fourteen

  RAZIEL STRETCHED languidly, smiling to himself. Despite the urgency of their mission, he was thoroughly enjoying himself, reveling in experiencing the Roman lifestyle once again.

  The bath was not nearly as luxurious or well-appointed as the ones in Rome itself, but it was very much a Roman bath and the water was scented with juniper and rose. Steam curled upward, rising in slow, lazy paths toward the ceiling, and Raziel felt very, very good.

  Uriel sprawled beside him, his eyes closed. The tension that had been so evident in him for weeks seemed to have vanished. His breathing was calm and even, and there was a small smile on his face. Raziel’s own smile broadened as he looked at his lover. It was so rare to see Uriel relaxed at all; to see him like this was something that Raziel savored.