“Oh, absolutely.” Cassie nodded vigorously, returning to her seat.
The Circle grew still as its members individually evaluated the proposal.
“Does anyone have any objections?” Jun asked. He waited a few moments but no one spoke up. “Very well then.” He shifted slightly in his chair to address Cassie and Griffin. “It would appear that you have the full support of the Arkana in implementing this plan. What can we do to help?”
“We’ll need to get Maddie onboard to make this work,” Cassie suggested tentatively.
“At the moment, Cassie and I are personae non gratae in her eyes,” Griffin added dryly. “I doubt our Chatelaine is in a mood to hear us out.”
“The Circle will intercede on your behalf,” Michel offered. “We will convince her of the necessity of cooperation.”
“As daunting as Maddie may be, I believe you have a bigger obstacle to consider,” Aydin cautioned. “How will you offer your flag of truce to the enemy? Surely you don’t intend to march up to the Nephilim compound and ask to speak to their Diviner.”
“Oh, that part’s easy,” Cassie waved her hand airily. “We know somebody who has Metcalf’s ear.”
“He can usually be found at the Chicago Public Library,” Griffin said. “Sundays excepted, of course.”
Chapter 3—Hear, Say
Hannah twisted the edge of her apron anxiously around her fingers as she studied her new surroundings. Earlier that day, without any advance warning, she’d been moved to a different room in a neglected corridor at the back of the compound. The wing had originally been designed to house visiting archwardens and other important dignitaries. Since guests rarely came to the Nephilim world headquarters and almost never stayed overnight, this suite of rooms remained vacant. Ironically, the chamber which she now occupied was bigger than her old quarters and included a more spacious private bath.
While Hannah’s living area had expanded, her view had diminished. There were no windows. A half dozen rectangular slits near the ceiling let in feeble shafts of sunlight. They were barred but their dimensions were too small to allow escape even without the grillwork. The girl’s attention wandered to the door. Below the doorknob was an old-fashioned keyhole which was presumably fitted with an old-fashioned key. This room had never been intended to house a prisoner so the lock was hardly state-of-the-art. Whether low-tech or high-tech, the lock was irrelevant. Hannah didn’t possess the means to open it.
The girl couldn’t help but speculate about the reason for her relocation. She was sure it had to do with her attempted escape a week earlier. She flashed back to that horrible night. She and Daniel had dodged the surveillance cameras inside the building and made their way clear to the outer entrance. There they waited for a man named Erik to guide Hannah through the camera blind spots along the fence line and onward to safety. While she watched anxiously for Erik’s arrival, she’d glimpsed her boyfriend Zach perched on a ladder peering over the top of the fence. Without thinking, she’d taken one step toward him. A single step but it was enough to destroy all their hopes. Hannah had been caught on the security cameras. It took only moments for sentries to come charging down the stairs from the guard shack. Daniel immediately dragged her back inside before anyone realized she was missing.
For the past seven days, Hannah hadn’t drawn a free breath as she waited for the axe to fall. Even though she’d been disguised on the night of her escape, she feared that someone had recognized her. She listened avidly for snippets of conversation from the women who brought her meals. They made their usual mind-numbing small talk without any hint that something out of the ordinary had transpired. The Diviner too paid his periodic calls, coaxing her to speak, but otherwise giving no indication that anything was amiss. When Daniel made his daily visits, Hannah pressed him eagerly for news but there was nothing to report—no gossip about an escape attempt or rumors of intruders on the grounds. The pair speculated endlessly about what had become of Erik and Zach. Had they been captured? Killed? The uncertainty was excruciating.
Hannah broke out of her reverie and walked toward the dresser. She pulled open a drawer and began to rearrange her clothes in an attempt to distract herself. With no books or access to information from the outside world, there was absolutely nothing else to do. At that moment, she heard a key slide into the lock. She spun around and braced herself for what was coming next. Per the Diviner’s recent instructions, all her usual visitors now knocked before entering. The only person who refused Hannah the courtesy of announcing his presence was Joshua. No doubt he hoped to unnerve her with his unexpected intrusions. While the rest of the congregation attributed the girl’s muteness to trauma, Joshua gave her silence a darker interpretation. He rightly suspected she had something to hide and he was determined to ferret out her secrets. As she always did before an encounter with Daniel’s brother, Hannah assumed an attitude of bland indifference.
The spymaster entered, treating her to a thin smile. “Hello, Sister Hannah. You look well today.” He seemed unnaturally cheerful. As usual, he drew up a chair and sat without being invited to do so.
Hannah continued to stand with her back leaning slightly against the dresser.
“And how do you like your new quarters?” he ventured in a chatty tone. Pausing only briefly to await a reply he knew would never come, he forged ahead. “Moving you here was my father’s idea, of course. He felt there was too much hustle and bustle near your old chamber. He seems to be of the opinion that you need complete peace and quiet if you are to recover your voice.”
Joshua paused as a new thought struck him. “Of course, I can think of an entirely different reason to sequester you here though I doubt my father would admit it. It may have been something of an embarrassment that one of the Diviner’s own wives needed to be restrained under lock and key. Every time the faithful walked past your door, they must have been reminded of your captivity. Not to mention the issue of your stubborn silence. Personally, I prefer a woman to hold her tongue but a wife who will not speak when her husband wishes it...” He trailed off with a soft “tsk, tsk” of disapproval. “Such muteness hints of mulishness.”
Hannah raised her chin defiantly but otherwise refused to respond.
Joshua’s soliloquy continued. “Your obstinacy sets a bad example for the other Consecrated Brides. They can plainly see that your sulkiness is rewarded with special privileges. You have been exempted from communal chores, are not required to share your husband’s bed or submit to his lawful advances, and receive your meals on a tray like some Fallen queen.”
The spymaster shook his head in disbelief. “How long will it be before the rest of the women follow your bad example? I tried to persuade my father to quash this trend by sending you away to an asylum.”
The girl stifled a gasp. Such a frightening alternative had never occurred to her.
“Sadly, he wouldn’t hear of it though I have hopes of convincing him in time. For the moment, he has decided that the wisest policy is ‘out of sight, out of mind’.” Joshua’s eyes swept the room appraisingly. “A bit too far out of sight, if you ask me. Nobody has any reason to travel down this dead-end corridor. It would be impossible for anyone to hear you call out even if you did recover your voice. Why, I imagine that even if you were to scream, there would be nobody within earshot to help you.”
Hannah flinched involuntarily at the thought of her complete isolation. She recovered her composure but it wasn’t soon enough to escape Joshua’s notice.
He gave a fleeting smirk of triumph, knowing he had succeeded in unnerving her. “Still not in the mood to converse? Oh well. No matter.” His gossipy tone persisted. “All I require are your ears. I have some news which concerns you.”
She gripped the edge of the dresser, steeling herself to hear an accusation about her attempted escape.
“You might be interested to learn that an intruder was discovered on the grounds about a week ago.”
Her features hardened into a mask of bored apathy.
Hannah kept still, her fingers pressed hard against the lip of the dresser.
“I believe this man came to rescue you. It’s unfortunate my sentries killed him before we could extract a confession.”
The girl felt herself growing dizzy from the shock of Joshua’s announcement. A dozen questions were screaming inside her head. Did he mean Zach or Erik? Had Zach climbed inside the enclosure to help his friend and been shot?
“I must say you wasted no time among the Fallen reverting to the corrupt nature of your sex. First you practiced your wiles on the dark-haired youth in the photos I saw. Then you seduced the blond man who came here to rescue you.”
Blond man? He must mean Erik. So Zach had escaped unharmed. Hannah felt a flood of relief that the boy she loved wasn’t dead. Her relief was quickly followed by a wave of guilt that a man she’d never met had lost his life attempting to save her. Hannah reined in her thoughts and focused on the present conversation.
Joshua was studying her face intently, analyzing the most infinitesimal change of expression. “What? No tears?” He affected mock surprise. “I should think a scheming creature like you would show a little regret at the loss of such a useful tool.”
Hannah drew herself up and walked toward the door. She stood beside it and glared at Joshua, clearly signaling that their conversation was over.
Her visitor chose to take the hint. He brushed past her on his way out and murmured, “Too bad my father can’t see your deviousness as clearly as I do. He will. Once I’ve made you talk, I will surely make him listen.”
Chapter 4—Don’t Ask, Don’t Call
Daniel tried to control his nervousness as he entered the reference department reading room of the downtown Chicago library. He hadn’t seen Chris since the librarian had kissed him, causing Daniel to flee in panic. So much had happened in the few weeks they’d been apart: Daniel’s unexpected alliance with the crew of relic thieves, the abortive plot to rescue Hannah, and then its tragic aftermath. The Scion found he needed his friend’s advice but wasn’t sure how to leap the awkward chasm that Chris’s attempt at intimacy had created.
Even now, Daniel recoiled at the memory of it. Being party to an act which his faith condemned as an abomination bothered him less than his own fleeting, and quickly suppressed, desire to reciprocate. He shook these troubling notions out of his head and timorously approached the counter. Chris was immersed in a computer search and didn’t notice his arrival.
Daniel cleared his throat self-consciously. “H...hello.”
The librarian looked up sharply. He gave a relieved smile. “Danny Boy! It’s so good to see you. I’m sorry I freaked you out the last time we were together. You must have kept running til you hit the Indiana border. Just give me a chance to explain—”
The Scion raised his hand in protest. “Let’s not talk about that right now. I’m here for a different reason.” In spite of the urgency of the meeting, Daniel found himself distracted by Chris’s new haircut. He was glad the style was long. Now that he knew a little more about art, the librarian’s tousled blond curls reminded Daniel of a Pre-Raphaelite angel. He forced his attention back to the reason he’d come. Stepping back a few paces, he asked abruptly, “Are you still my friend?”
The librarian got off his stool and leaned over the desk. In a low voice, he replied, “Of course. How can you ask me that?”
Ignoring the questions, Daniel forged ahead. “I need your help. There’s nobody else I can talk to.”
“I’ll always be here for you,” Chris murmured. “You know that.”
Daniel’s gaze slid away. “Can you get away for a few minutes?”
Without a word, Chris came around the counter and led Daniel toward the elevator.
It was unnecessary for the Scion to ask where they were headed—the Rare Book Room on the top floor. It was their usual spot.
The librarian didn’t try to reopen the topic of his feelings for Daniel as they rode the elevator together in silence. Nor did the Scion speak while he waited for Chris to unlock the exhibit door. Without needing to consult one another, they took their customary places on the circular bench in the center of the room.
Once they were settled, Daniel slumped forward and clasped his hands. “A lot has occurred since the last time we were here.” He launched into the story of his encounter with Erik in the parking garage, his enlistment as an accomplice to free Hannah, and the ensuing disastrous rescue attempt.
“Wow,” was Chris’s monosyllabic response. He shook his head in disbelief. “That’s a gigabyte of data to take in. So what happened afterward?”
“Nothing,” the Scion replied curtly. “I was able to get Hannah safely back inside her room before anyone suspected she was gone.”
“And the guy who came to rescue her?” Chris urged.
“At first, I assumed he slipped away before the guards caught up with him. There was no gossip the next morning about an attempted break-in. So I waited for Erik to call me. I was sure he’d want to try another rescue. I waited and waited.” Daniel sank his head into his hands. “And then yesterday Hannah told me the whole story.” He sighed and straightened up. Turning to face Chris, he added, “Erik’s dead.”
The librarian blanched. “What?”
“I only found out because Joshua has been harassing Hannah to get her to talk. She’s been pretending that she lost her voice to avoid interrogation. The people all think she’s afflicted so they’re walking on eggshells and not bothering her—except for my brother. He believes she’s hiding something and yesterday he stepped up his attack. He told Hannah that a Fallen man had been discovered trying to get into the compound, probably to rescue her. The guards shot him dead.”
“Maybe Joshua was lying to try to rattle her,” Chris suggested hopefully.
“I don’t think so. His physical description of Erik was accurate. He wouldn’t have known what the intruder looked like if Erik had escaped. Besides, if Erik really was alive he would have contacted me by now.”
“Have you tried to call him yourself?” the librarian suggested. “You said he gave you a burner phone to use.”
Daniel reached into his attaché case and produced the phone. He contemplated it forlornly. “Frankly, I’ve been afraid of what I might find out.”
“With your brother on the offensive, you can’t leave Hannah where she is!”
The Scion rubbed his head wearily. “I know. I’ve dragged my feet long enough. Joshua is pressuring my father to send her to an asylum. I have to get Hannah out of there before something really bad happens to her. At the same time, I can’t bear the idea of putting any of the others at risk.”
“You mean Erik’s allies?”
Daniel nodded grimly.
The librarian reached over and squeezed Daniel’s forearm lightly. “Don’t you think that’s a decision they ought to be allowed to make for themselves?”
The Scion didn’t recoil at his friend’s touch. He couldn’t resist the comforting sensation and its unspoken assurance that someone was on his side. And on Hannah’s side too.
Chris gently removed the cell phone from Daniel’s hand. He powered it on. “You need to make that call right now.” He pressed the programmed number and handed the phone back to the Scion.
Daniel placed it on speaker and set the phone on the bench between them. It rang several times. Each ring was a sharp confirmation that its owner wouldn’t be picking up. The Scion was on the point of disconnecting the call when he heard a wary male voice on the other end of the line.
“Hello?”
“Uh, hello. Who’s this?” Daniel began tentatively.
“Who’s this?” the suspicious voice countered. “Nobody is supposed to have this number.” The voice didn’t sound like Erik’s. It so
unded like that of a teenager.
“Erik gave me this number in case I needed to reach him.”
“He did?” The voice faltered. “This phone was stuffed inside his backpack. When I brought his gear back to the Vault I set it in a corner and forgot about it. That is, until the pack started ringing just now. You say Erik told you to call this number?”
“Yes, he did. My name is Daniel and I—”
An involuntary gasp cut off his explanation. “Daniel? Not crazy cult Daniel?”
The librarian leaned over and whispered, “He’s not wrong, you know.”
“I’m not sure what that means,” Daniel replied stiffly. “My name is Daniel Metcalf.”
“Yup, that’s the one. This is Zach,” the voice volunteered.
“Zach? You mean Hannah’s Zachary? She’s told me about you.”
The girl’s name opened a floodgate of questions. “Hannah? You’ve seen Hannah? Is she OK? Is anybody hurting her?”
Chris chuckled at the boy’s reaction.
“Zachary, please calm down. Hannah is fine—at least for now. I’m calling to find out what happened to Erik. I didn’t hear from him after our rescue attempt and I need further instructions about how to proceed.”
There was a long pause and a heavy sigh. “Erik’s dead. He was shot by a Nephilim goon squad while he was trying to escape. I was his lookout so I saw it all go down with my own eyes.”
“Apparently, your brother Joshua can tell the truth when it suits him,” Chris observed sardonically.
“I’m so sorry.” Daniel told the boy. “So very sorry.”
“We all are,” Zach agreed in a subdued tone.
“I’d like to try to free Hannah again. She may be at risk if she remains in the compound. Is there anybody I can speak to on your end about that? Perhaps you know how I can get in touch with a woman named Cassie.”
The Sage Stone Prophecy (Arkana Archaeology Adventure Series Book 7) Page 2