Book Read Free

Book One: The Girl (The Sanctum)

Page 27

by Blaylock, Madhuri


  “Oh, I’m sorry, Dev,” Sam interjected, “this is Coco, our weapons expert. Coco, this is Dev.”

  Coco shook Dev’s hand and smiled.

  “Nice to meet you, Dev.”

  “Likewise,” Dev smiled.

  “All right, all right,” Wyatt smacked the table.

  “Relax,” Dev touched his thigh and shot him a look. Wyatt glared at her, but he didn’t move from her touch or say another word.

  Sam watched their interaction with curiosity, wondering what was going on between the two of them, knowing it was none of her business. Choosing to ignore their foul energy, Sam opened the meeting.

  "As Wyatt so delightfully suggested, let's get started. Josiah and I wanted a chance to speak to you all before we meet with the other members of The Academy, mostly because we are the group most directly affected by current events, that being Dev's arrival and Darby's attack.

  "In case you don't know, Darby was set upon by Luc Arsenault and his progeny, Olivier. She managed to kill Olivier but did not fare as well with Monsieur Arsenault. For some quick background, Luc is Claude's progeny and had lived with him for hundreds of years until Claude crossed paths with Darby. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this, but I'll say it anyway: Luc Arsenault has despised Darby ever since and makes no effort to hide his feelings.

  "What he does try to hide are his generations-long ties to the Breslin

  family, well before Ava and Carter were even a thought. He has long done their bidding when it suits his fancy which is why Josiah and I are most certain the Breslins are behind what happened to Darby."

  Sam glanced at Darby, who leaned closer to the table and took over the narrative.

  "Well, y'all all saw me, probably more of me than you ever wished to see, so you know what Luc did and I believe his note made it plenty clear that he wants Dev. I said nothin' about nothin' which is why he went all Doctor Evil on me. And from what folks say about Carter Breslin, it’s plain as my nose those two are sharing torture tips."

  Ryker shifted uncomfortably, not enjoying the current conversation, wanting to find Luc and rip him apart.

  Darby grasped Ryker's hand and winked, reassuring him she was perfectly fine.

  "As I was saying, he got nothin' out of me but as long as I've known Luc, he has been in cahoots with the Breslins, doing all sorts of things for them, usually to the detriment of other Magicals. This is the first time I've seen him bring his fight to other Sanctum, which is more reason for me to believe he's got Carter and Ava's backing."

  "And all of this circuitous behavior eventually comes back to me and what I mean to the whole lot of them," Dev stated sullenly.

  "You are not the point,” Wyatt noted pointedly, “at least not anymore. The question is why you? Why not Jools? Or Ryker?" Wyatt wondered aloud.

  "We know the why," Josiah replied.

  Every head turned towards him.

  "You do?" Dev asked the question in everyone's head, “how?"

  Josiah briefly glanced at Sam before continuing.

  “It has to do with your parents, the Breslins and us. It’s complicated and old but I think the best way to tackle this is for you to tell me what you know, Dev. Because if I knew Philip and Maya as well as I thought I did, then I know they have prepared you for much of what lies ahead, they have equipped you with the truth in hopes it will make you stronger. Am I right?”

  Dev took a deep breath and carefully considered her words. It was difficult discussing her parents without becoming emotional, but she didn’t have a choice. She had to share her story to gain the information she sought.

  “My parents have always been very honest and forthcoming with me, but I am fully aware there is some disconnect between what I know and what is happening all around me. I’m trusting you and Sam can fill in the gaps.

  “Simply stated, I am an experiment on the part of my parents. A test of the limits of their magic and power, but also a slap in the face to the Breslins. I am the offspring of the union of the angel Aria and demon Zyka, which is why The Sanctum calls me a hybrid.

  "I understand that my power is virtually limitless, have been told my intelligence is unsurpassed and have ample proof it’s insanely difficult to kill me.

  “When I was younger and would ask my parents to tell the story of my arrival in their lives, they would always end it by saying I fulfilled the prophecy and my purpose was to bring the light. I remember asking what exactly they meant when they said things like that, to which they explained that one day I would be a great leader, one to unite the worlds of Sanctum and Magical and usher in an untold peace. That all seemed a bit dramatic at the time and unfortunately they were killed before they could really explain themselves.

  “As I sit here now, in a room of people I don’t even know but am dependent upon to keep me safe, their words sound even crazier than when I was a kid, like the delusional rantings of two people chased from The Sanctum and living a life on the run.”

  Dev shook her head sadly, aware everyone at the table was intensely focused on her, unaware of how emotional she was becoming discussing herself in front of a room of virtual strangers.

  "Don't get me wrong, I love my parents with every ounce of my being and there isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss them," Dev said with tears in her eyes, "but there is a part of me that is extremely hurt and upset with them. There's a part of me that feels so betrayed by their extraordinarily calculated actions.

  "I was lying in bed last night, trying to get my head around the fact that they created me just to satisfy some revenge fantasy they had against The Sanctum, that they created me just to leave me here to die alone because that is exactly what is going to happen. I am absolutely alone and I am definitely going to die, it's now just a question of who is going to kill me."

  Dev wiped her eyes and pushed away from the table, wishing she could leave the room altogether. For what felt like eons, no one said a word, everyone uncertain what to say.

  Everyone but Wyatt.

  Wyatt knew exactly what to say to her but after the hateful words she threw at him last night, he refused to be moved by her tears. She didn’t like him and he was going to do his damnedest to shut down any feelings he had for her.

  Finally, Sam sat up tall and spoke.

  “I am so terribly sorry that I cannot help you feel less alone, Dev. I can’t imagine what you must be going through and I’m not going to pretend that our small group right here is any substitute for your family and friends. But I do know this: there is no way anyone sitting here is going to let you die, not without one hell of a fight. Furthermore, your parents were not chased from The Sanctum, they left. And those stories they told you were not delusional rants, they are true. You are the hope we’ve been promised for years.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better,” Dev asked as she pushed away from the table and walked over to the window, looking out onto the city below, “because it doesn’t. It sounds like more of the same nonsense my parents filled my head with all these years.”

  “I’m sure it does,” Sam agreed, “but I promise you it is not. When your parents fled The Sanctum, Josiah and I were the only people who knew why. We assisted in their safe passage and have always hoped our paths would cross again.”

  Dev turned back to the group, leaning on the windowsill, not wanting to join them at the table.

  “If you were such good friends, why did you never visit? Why did my parents never mention you?”

  “All for your parents’ safety. We could not risk Breslin finding them. Josiah and I felt the best way to ensure their safety was that if none of us knew where they were and we cut off all contact.”

  “You could have helped them,” Dev shot back at Sam.

  Sam shook her head sadly.

  “Once they did what they did, no one could help them, sweetheart. We all knew that, but they felt it was a necessary sacrifice to make for the greater good. Josiah and I promised if anything happened to them, we would find you and hel
p you the best we could, which is why we’ve been feverishly searching for you all these months.”

  "All these months?" Dev laughed coldly. "You cannot expect me to believe that."

  "You're right," Josiah interjected, sensing Sam was upsetting Dev, feeling he might make a bit more headway with her, "we don't expect you to believe it, but it is a fact. Ever since Breslin made it known he was hunting you, I have been conducting my own search in hopes of finding you first. It's difficult when one is ignorant of the who, what, where and why of a problem. But knowing Maya and Philip as well as I do, I started searching portals leading into or away from Ghost palaces. I knew once they succeeded in creating you, they would train you in the ways of the Ramyan Warrior.

  "From the markings on your body, I can see that I was right. You have apparently gone as far as the fourth stage of your training. Sadly, I could not find your Ghost Palace or your Ramyan Sei. Your parents improved upon even their best work when glamouring your safe havens.

  “And as you can imagine, every time I asked someone about the Ghost Palaces, they mocked me, certain I had finally lost my marbles and was falling victim to tall tales told around the campfire.

  "That is because you sound crazy asking about things that don't exist," Jools laughed.

  The entire room shot Jools a look and she quickly shut up. Only Dev smiled.

  "They most definitely do exist," Josiah insisted, "as I'm sure Dev will attest."

  Jools looked to Dev, who simply offered a slight nod.

  "As I was saying," Josiah continued with a triumphant smile, "now you're here and as you hope, I'm going to fill in all the gaps for you."

  "Wait," Jools interrupted, "can we hear more about the Ghost Palaces?"

  "No!" everyone yelled in unison.

  "All right, all right," Jools backed off, "sheesh. A girl can't even ask a question around these parts anymore without getting her head bitten off by the whole lot of you."

  "They're the palaces of the Ramyan warriors," Dev explained, "but are never visible to the untrained eye, almost as if they exist in another dimension of reality, hence the name Ghost Palace, which is really a Magical term; the Ramyan would never dream of calling their palaces such."

  "But they exist in this reality, correct?" Jools asked.

  "Yes, but only to those who know what to look for, and most do not," Dev offered with some finality.

  "And you do, dad?" Jools turned to Josiah.

  "Just drop it, Jools. Who cares?" Wyatt interjected.

  "Shut up, Wyatt," Jools sneered at him.

  "Enough, both of you," Sam chastised her children sternly, embarrassing both of them into silence.

  "To answer your question, Jools, yes, I know what to look for but before you ask how, let me cut you off right there."

  Jools mouthed her dismay.

  "That is a story for another day," and Josiah left it at that.

  “Good because as much as I respect anything and everything emitted from Jools’ mouth,” Ryker laughed then turned towards Dev, “I’d much rather hear how hot stuff over there is going to save us all.”

  Jools elbowed Ryker in his ribs, but kept her attention trained on Josiah, wondering what crazy story was going to be revealed next.

  “In a nutshell,” Josiah began.

  “No ‘nutshell’ versions, dad,” Wyatt interrupted, sounding leader-like and commanding, “we need the entire story, with all the ugly details of whatever Dev’s parents and you and mom have put into play because it’s going to be us, the young warriors you’ve been training all these years, who are affected. So don’t sugarcoat it. Just give it to us straight and let’s go from there.”

  Wyatt knew he shouldn’t speak over his dad like that, but he could not help himself. He needed to know exactly what they were up against and Sam and Josiah were the only people left alive with that information. And they had been keeping it secret for years.

  Josiah shot Sam a look she understood immediately, as if to say I told you he could lead. A slight nod of her head and a smirk suggested Sam wasn’t sold yet, but could be convinced.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  The amphitheatre was draped in black, as always when the Circle of Ten called a vote. Candelabras in corners and chandeliers from the ceiling gave off a warm glow, in complete contrast to the matters at hand. Members garbed in the flowing, black robes of The Sanctum spoke in hushed tones, whispering to one another, considering matters, taking sides. Carter Breslin walked into the room and the chatter grew louder, some ignoring his presence, others shifting in their seats, wondering the reason for the meeting. Max entered minutes later, caught sight of his father and walked to the opposite side of the room to take a seat next to an old friend from The Academy.

  Sensing the time was right, that enough minutes had elapsed since Carter made his entrance, Ava strode into the theatre and stepped to the podium. Garbed in her robes, her hair pulled severely into a bun and her bright, red lips tantalizing even from the back row of the room, she was breathtaking in a very ice-princess way. The room that two seconds earlier was loud and disorderly, immediately hushed, waiting for Ava to speak.

  These were the moments she loved. When she knew The Sanctum belonged to her. When she knew people feared Carter, but they respected her. They listened to her. They followed her.

  Ava glanced to her side and smiled coldly at Carter, noticing his left eye twitch when he glanced her way, fully aware he wanted to kill her, seething with rage at the power and authority she wielded. She caught sight of her son, sitting as far away as possible from his father, but completely attentive to her, smiling when she caught Max’s eye.

  All was right with her family and her Sanctum.

  Ava cleared her throat, a completely calculated tactic she felt made her seem less than perfect and endeared her to the audience. Smiling to some familiar faces, Ava held everyone's rapt attention.

  "The Circle of Ten, Founding Families of The Sanctum: the Galloways, the Barksdales, the Allendes, the Edwards, the Khambaitas, the Ravensdales, the Leatherbys and the Sextons, London welcomes you," she began with the formal Sanctum greeting.

  "All thanks, London," the audience replied in unison.

  "We've brought you here today to discuss the most significant and detrimental events facing our beloved Sanctum since the Gods breathed life into the Code of Ten. In my recent review of our history, I can honestly say we have never faced such enemies, from within and without."

  A wave of chatter erupted among the audience as members whispered to one another. Ava gave them a moment, letting her words sink in and create concern.

  "Of course, you know all about the hybrid demon we have spent the last year hunting as my husband, Carter, has so helpfully kept you abreast of our failures with his periodic missives. Regarding the information he has provided, I would like to offer some corrections," she looked over at him and smiled sweetly.

  Carter returned the expression, all the while considering the many ways he would torture her, given the chance to catch her alone.

  "As Carter has mentioned on many occasions, this hybrid is strange in and of itself since demons rarely reproduce and when they do, we have swiftly killed their hybrid offspring. More dangerous for us is this particular hybrid's nature: she is half demon, half angel."

  That piece of information won over any audience members not already married to Ava's cause. She allowed minutes to pass as members from the Founding Families seated on the stage and audience members alike discussed the significance of her information. More important than the information itself was the effect it had on those seated throughout the theatre: she represented all that a leader could be, most importantly, Ava was honest and forthcoming, quite the opposite of Carter with all his innuendo and hidden agendas.

  "As all of you are well aware," she continued as the din died down, "we have never encountered such a being. That is until my son Max crossed her path in India a few months ago."

  Ava smiled fondly at Max, seated in the back, loo
king arrogant and proud.

  "He managed to survive the attack and was able to report back incredibly vital information. For one, the hybrid is a girl. An incredibly beautiful, smart and strong girl. She also had a family: a mother, a father and a brother. All three have been destroyed. Interestingly enough, many of you will know her mother, Maya, as she was the Sole Healer for The Sanctum for generations, and her father, Philip, who served as Chief Magjister to The Sanctum for just as long."

  Again, wild chatter erupted throughout the room, many shocked to hear the information regarding Maya and Philip.

  "As you will recall, Maya and Philip left The Sanctum with no warning or reason. One night they were here and the next morning, they vanished. Carter and I spent years searching for them, worried something terrible had befallen them, wondering if or when we would ever see them again, never believing they would simply up and leave. Well, silly us," Ava glanced over at Carter with a cold gleam in her eye.

  "Not only did they leave, they took off with the sole intent and purpose of creating a being to bring an end to The Sanctum."

  “As Founding Families of The Sanctum, we have been on notice since the beginning of time that the possibility existed for a hybrid creature to bring about the demise of our lives as we know them. The Book of Prophesy states as much, which is why we have always been vigilant in our hunt for and destruction of hybrid demons, because if there is one thing we must all protect, it is The Sanctum, as we are the moral authority for all Magicals, we are the peacekeepers, we are the protectors of humanity.

  “Now this girl is in our midst, threatening our very existence. It is our duty as Sanctum to hunt her down and bring about her death, for she is just a girl and just as she was created, so shall she be destroyed.”

  “We have it on good information that she is hiding in New York,” Ava paused for dramatic effect, “with the help of The Sanctum’s very own Clayworth family.”

  This time a roar engulfed the room, drowning out Ava’s voice, forcing her to bring order by banging a gavel against the podium. A most unsophisticated gesture that infuriated her, but a necessary one.

 

‹ Prev