Drawing Bloodlines

by Steve Bevil

  “Okay, got it,” blurted Alan. He frowned, turning his gaze away from the group. “Thank you for the history lesson.”

  Sweet Pea’s mouth fell open; she looked stunned. “W–what?” she said. “You’re the one that was asking all the questions.”

  “Umm, I believe, Angela did too,” he said.

  “O–okay,” said Angela. “So, what happened after your father tried to stop James Grimm from taking the diary?”

  “They started fighting,” said Malick. He sat quietly again, before eventually speaking. “It got pretty bad and it was loud; they were crashing into stuff around the room. I was about to come out of hiding, to help my father. But that was until I heard what James Grimm had to say about the Firewalker.”

  “What?” said Nathan, staring back at him. “What did he say?”

  “He told my father that the accusations brought against my grandfather during the Great Upheaval were true,” said Malick. “And that he had proof that my grandfather was still working to uncover the bloodline of the Firewalker.” He paused. “It was what my father had to say next that really frightened me. He said the Firewalker was a threat to the Order and, if he couldn’t be controlled, he had to be eliminated.”

  “What! A threat?” asked Nathan. “How?”

  “I don’t know,” said Malick. “Just a few days prior to that, while practicing Pneuma Novo outside the castle, I discovered that I had a fire ability.” He extended his arms, examining his hands in the light of the fire. “It took me awhile to come to terms with what I could do and I was planning on telling my father, but after what I heard in the vault that day, my fire ability became a permanent secret. That day, I realized there was no place for me at the Order.”

  Abruptly, Lafonda stood up and everyone appeared confused. Nathan noticed the determination in her eyes as she proceeded to head toward Black Manor. “Uh, Lafonda?” said Nathan, leaning forward. “Where are you going?”

  Lafonda spun around. She then pointed at Sweet Pea and Taylor. “Since Malick won’t let you two tell me about my grandmother’s involvement with the Great Upheaval,” she said. “I figured I would force it out of my father instead.”

  “Lafonda, wait!” said Malick, but she continued toward the manor.

  Angela stood up, her blonde curly hair bouncing on her shoulders. “Come on, guys,” she said, forcing Alan to stand up. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to let Lafonda confront her father by herself.”

  “Why not?” asked Alan, reluctantly standing up. He continued to steadily text on his cell phone. “What does it have to do with me?”

  “Well,” said Angela. “After what was said here tonight about the Great Upheaval, I’m almost certain Lafonda knows this pretty much confirms LaDonda’s membership with the Order.” She gestured for Nathan to stand up. “Now, whether LaDonda is still a member or not, who knows, but I think once she hears it from her father, she’s going to need all the support she can get accepting it.”

  “Okay, then,” said Nathan, standing up with a long stretch. He gestured for Malick and the others to follow. “Let’s go see what Avery has to say about all this, and let’s go support Lafonda.”

  Nathan watched as Lafonda stormed across the fog-swept lawn and then up the pepper-colored stone steps to the glass side door of the conservatory. Nathan and the others weren’t too far behind, when the wood-paneled, glass doors to the manor closed behind her. It caused the windows of the conservatory to rattle and shake.

  “Lafonda sure can walk fast when she needs to,” said Taylor, with a deep chuckle. He took a moment to look around the conservatory. “What’s up with the dead plant?”

  Nathan followed Taylor’s gaze upward to the medium-sized potted plant that hung over the dark wood table. “It’s a long story,” he said, while staring at the brown leaves accumulating at the center of the table.

  “It’s not dead yet,” said Sweet Pea, through squinted eyes. “It just needs some care.”

  “So, I guess you are upset with me,” said Malick, following behind Nathan. He helped to hold the doors open so that the others could pass through. “I wouldn’t blame you for hating me, for not telling you.”

  “I don’t hate you,” said Nathan. “I understand why you keep secrets.” He smiled. “You even convinced me to take the secret route remember?” Nathan’s grin faded. “But we can’t afford to do that anymore. We’re a team now and even though I’m not particularly fond of this phrase … we’re all in this together.”

  “All of us?” asked Malick, with a smirk. He laughed. “What are we now, the Fwoobies?”

  “Fwoobies?” asked Nathan, but before Malick could answer, a light bulb appeared to go off in Nathan’s head. “Oh, Alan.” He laughed while holding open the door for Malick to enter the manor. “By the way, Lafonda has it all wrong. You’re the one with the hero complex.”

  The wood floor creaked as Nathan and Malick entered the large lounge area of Black Manor. Jonathan, seated on the couch directly in front of the majestic reddish-brown fireplace, appeared with his face buried in his laptop. Lafonda and Angela were seated on opposite sides of him, and Taylor appeared to be watching Sweet Pea peruse one of the floor-to-ceiling bookcases, from the comfort of his elaborately patterned loveseat.

  “Hey,” said Lafonda, solemnly. She had turned around to greet Nathan and Malick after she heard the rattling sound caused by the closing of the glass doors. “Jonathan said I just missed my parents. Apparently, they’re heading to the airport to pick up my grandmother.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing, right?” asked Nathan. He stopped short of the couch, standing in front of the enormous, stained glass window. “When LaDonda gets here, all this talk about her involvement with the Order can be put to rest.”

  Lafonda forced her pursed lips into a smile before turning back around. “Jonathan has some news though,” she said, almost sullenly. “I believe he and Angela might have just cracked the prophecy.”

  “Really?” asked Nathan, enthusiastically. He turned to look at Malick, who joined him by his side. Sweet Pea also joined them, taking a seat on the armrest to the couch.

  Nathan watched as Jonathan continued to work feverishly on his laptop. Nathan thought it looked like the blonde-haired girl, in the large oil painting above the fireplace, watched him work.

  “I’m almost done,” said Jonathan. He paused to reposition his black square-rimmed glasses on his nose. He then spun around to give a quick glare to Malick. “I’m close to deciphering the final section of the prophecy. You know, the part of the prophecy destroyed by your ex-girlfriend at the caves.”

  Malick’s cheeks reddened as he chuckled nervously. “Yeah, about that,” he said.

  “No need to explain,” said Angela, biting her lip. She held up Jonathan’s cell phone. “Alan already sent him a text and filled him in.”

  There was an awkward silence and Malick started to rub the back of his neck. “But,” continued Angela, cheerfully. “We still have the pictures on Jonathan’s cell phone to help us figure it out.”

  Nathan was suddenly distracted by the crackling sounds of fire that came from the blackened walls of the fireplace. As before, the flickering fire made the three carvings on the face of the fireplace appear to come to life.

  “Why don’t you share with them what you’ve figured out so far?” said Angela.

  Jonathan leaned near her and he appeared to examine the pictures of the hieroglyphs from the caves, as Angela held his cell phone. “Uh, sure,” he said, sitting up straight. “I was going to wait until Dr. Colvers, Dr. Devaro and my father returned, but I guess now is a good time to take a break.”

  “Hey, guys,” said Leah. Her brown bag continued to flop at her side as she trotted down the stairs. She had changed clothes and it appeared she had just showered. “Why does everyone look so serious?”

  “Looks like it has something to do with Jonathan,” said Alan, with a sigh. He had just stepped out of the ground floor bathroom.

  “You guys a
re just in time,” said Nathan. He gave Leah a hug, but the hug felt a little awkward. “Jonathan was just about to share with us what he’s uncovered so far, about the prophecy.”

  Leah and Nathan exchanged weird glances at each other before Nathan switched his attention to Taylor. “Umm, aren’t you going to join us?” he asked.

  Taylor had slouched down into the loveseat and had removed his shoes. “Nah, I’ll pass,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I’ve heard enough of all this prophecy talk for one day.” He gave a quick wink before closing his eyes. “And besides, I’m sure Sweet Pea will tell me all about it later.”

  “Okay,” said Jonathan, closing the lid to his computer. He smiled, after noticing that all the eyes in the room were on him. “Now, just in case you guys don’t remember; the Legend of the Firewalker says ‘in the time before the last battle, he will emerge, igniting the spirit from within, bringing down the veil that separates Spirit and Earth; restoring balance back to the spirit of man.’”

  “Wow, you recalled all that from memory?” asked Angela.

  “Yes,” said Jonathan with a smile. “I’ve been working with the first part of the prophecy for some time now, but I’ll need my notebook and my cell phone for the rest.”

  Angela gave Jonathan his cell phone and then reached down to retrieve his black and green spiral notebook from his backpack. “Here you go,” she said.

  “And then,” said Jonathan, while flipping through his notebook. “The prophecy says, ‘he will wield the power of the three; Earth and Spirit and Fire.’” He paused, after noticing Malick fidgeting with the zipper to his black leather jacket. He then enlarged the picture on his phone. “But … that was before we were able to make out the parts of the prophecy that Liz had destroyed in the cave.”

  He turned to the sketch in his notebook. It resembled the Yin and Yang symbol. “Thanks to Angela and to Dr. Colvers, we now know that the prophecy reads, ‘the one with the knowledge of good and evil will wield the power of the three; Earth and Spirit and Fire.’”

  Jonathan closed his notebook with a thud. “We’re close to deciphering the last piece of the prophecy that Liz also destroyed,” said Jonathan. “I’m just waiting for my father and Dr. Colvers to return, to be sure.”

  “Malick,” said Sweet Pea. She sounded concerned. “I know you know what I’m about to say.”

  Malick nodded.

  “What is it?” asked Jonathan curiously.

  Sweet Pea paused, turning to look at Taylor, but he was asleep. “That prophecy sounds a lot like the prophecy for the Order,” she said. “In fact, besides a few differences, they’re almost identical.”

  “So,” said Lafonda, turning around to look at Malick. “And I’m sure you knew about this all along, right?”

  Slowly, Malick nodded. “Yes, and no,” he said, apprehensively. “Since the very first night Jonathan showed us the sketch of the Firewalker symbol, I’ve known that it’s also the crest for the Order; however, I didn’t know about the similarities in the prophecies until Jonathan told us the details about the Legend of the Firewalker back at the Devaro Mansion, yesterday. And I suspect those differences in the prophecy may just be the reason why the Firewalker is considered a threat to the Order.…”

  “You never said anything about this,” interrupted Sweet Pea. “All you said was that your friends needed cloaked and that while you were here in London, a guy named Dr. Colvers was going to help your friend — that’s a researcher — figure out some cave symbols. You failed to mention this had anything to do with the Order.”

  “Hold on, hold on!” said Leah, quickly. She gestured for everyone to stop talking. “Listen. W–what’s that sound?”

  The room drew eerily quiet and the fire delivered faint popping sounds.

  “What sound?” said Alan. Leah shushed him.

  The lights in the room began to flicker and, one by one, the light bulbs around the room spontaneously burst, plunging them into darkness.

  “W–what?” said Taylor, startled, apparently jarred from his sleep. He immediately stood up, clasping the handle to his sword. Suddenly, a high-pitched screeching sound filled the air.

  “What’s that sound?” asked Lafonda. There was a hint of anxiety in her voice. “It’s like grinding metal.” She stood up from the couch, her eyes connecting with Nathan. “It almost sounds like … like a train.”

  Leah and Nathan both turned to look at each other, their eyes wide. “Necrocritters!” they shouted in unison.

  Angela and Jonathan followed Lafonda’s lead and sprang to their feet. “Necrocritters?” asked Angela, and she took ahold of Jonathan’s hand.

  The sounds of shuffling and scratching echoed from several dark corners and shadows around the room. “This is not good!” shouted Taylor as Sweet Pea joined his side, both drawing their swords.

  Suddenly, there was silence. Everything had stopped. Nathan’s heart was beating so hard that he could feel it pounding in his ears. Underneath the rhythmic sound of his heart, he heard a monotonous tapping noise. “What’s that?” he said.

  Tap, tap, tap ….

  Malick turned around to look at him and Lafonda’s eyes became alert, as if she had heard it too.

  Tap, tap, tap ….

  Slowly, Malick inched toward the sound. He lowered his head, trying hard to pinpoint where it came from. Malick looked up and, to his surprise, he stood in front of the large stained glass window. Malick drew closer and pressed his ear against the cold glass. He then tried to peer through the window.

  Tap ….

  “Everybody, get back!” he yelled, and the window imploded.

  19

  THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

  There was an enormous rush of cold air as shards of glass blanketed the room. The fire in the fireplace fiercely flickered, but eventually went out. Moonlight from the open window crept into the room.

  “Is everybody okay?” asked Nathan. He was the first to get to his feet.

  Although there was light from the full moon, the room was still dark. Nathan struggled to see his friends. “Ow!” he said, instantly touching his cheek. He examined the bright speck of blood that rested on his index finger. I must’ve gotten cut from the glass, he thought.

  Nathan heard movement and the sounds of crushing glass. “I’m okay,” said Leah. She stood up and rested against the couch, making sure she still had her brown knitted bag. “What happened?”

  “I think we’re okay,” said Jonathan. He, Sweet Pea, and Taylor were helping Angela, Alan, and Lafonda.

  Suddenly, Nathan heard what sounded like voices and movement coming from outside the window. He immediately headed toward the sound. It almost sounds like somebody’s laughing, he thought.

  Nathan stood in front of the busted window and gasped. He was surprised by what he saw in front of him. Slowly, walking up the fog-swept, stone steps were two men dressed in long black cloaks, their swords drawn at their sides. One of the men had a devilish grin on his face as his eyes connected with Nathan.

  “Those two nasty characters are the Blackwater twins — Eleazar and Jordan,” said Malick, joining Nathan at his side. “The one with the smirk on his face is Eleazar. He was tapping on the glass with his sword to draw us near the window so he could blow it up with an energy ball.”

  Eleazar noticed Malick standing next to Nathan at the window, and he immediately froze in his tracks. He then grinned wide and pointed his long silver sword at Malick.

  “He’s very sadistic,” said Malick, frowning at Eleazar, “and he will find any excuse to inflict pain on his enemies. I know it’s only because of my grandfather that they tolerate his antics.”

  “They?” asked Nathan, sounding surprised. “The Order?”

  Malick nodded, pausing to run his hand backward through his hair. “Yeah, and we’re not exactly the best of friends.”

  The high-pitched wail they heard earlier pierced the air again, and Nathan spun around. His friends, now nursing minor cuts from the flying glass, looked frigh
tened.

  “Well, I don’t scare easily,” said Nathan, forming a blue fireball. He stared directly at Eleazar, the blue flames flickering angrily in his hand. “Regardless of the issue, you don’t hurt my friends.”

  Suddenly, in the darkness, in the field directly behind Eleazar and Jordan, a tiny blue light appeared, hovering in the air. Soon the light grew, stretching out toward the ground. In a blink, it expanded, developing into a blue rectangular doorway.

  “Now what?” asked Nathan. “I wonder who that is.”

  “Considering that Eleazar and Jordan are a part of Liz’s line,” said Malick. “I’m guessing it’s Liz.”

  “Nice try,” rang a voice behind them. Nathan and Malick quickly spun around. Another blue door had formed, but this time near the fireplace inside of Black Manor.

  “What are you doing here, Liz?” shouted Sweet Pea.

  Haughtily, Liz stepped from the blue doorway as she adjusted her black trench coat. “I asked myself, what could have happened to make Malick so confused that he would betray us, and fight for the other side?” she asked. She then removed her dark sunglasses and gawked at him. “If I knew you were going to be this lost after we broke up, I would have fought harder to keep you at my side.”

  “Us?” asked Malick, with disdain. “Who is ‘us’?”

  She shook her head. “Turn over everything you have about the cave symbols,” said Liz. “And this won’t have to get ugly.”

  Suddenly, there were sounds of crunching glass over by the window and Nathan and the others turned to find Eleazar, Jordan and a dark-haired woman stepping through. “Umm, Sweet Pea, Taylor,” called Alan with trepidation. “They look like your guys.” He swallowed hard, backing up to huddle closer to the group. “Please tell me these are your guys.…”

  “Liz,” said Sweet Pea, sword still drawn. She gestured for Taylor to lower his sword. “What are you doing here?”