‘The day of the opening?’ Elias mused.
‘That’s right,’ Lucien agreed.
Elias watched Lucien carefully as he mulled over this information. If Lucien was telling him the truth, then it only served to confirm what Olivia believed. Bower was going to be at the opening of the Farringdon Street Station and the Veritas had indeed built a secret headquarters beneath the city via the new subterranean railway.
‘Why are you telling me this?’
‘Because we’re in a position to help each other,’ Lucien replied. ‘You want Bower, I want Faraday. We go in together we both win; I watch your back you watch mine.’
‘How do you know all this?’
‘Because my friend,’ Lucien smiled slowly, ‘I’m better at spying than you are. I’ve also been watching them longer.’
‘But how do you know Bower’s meeting Faraday?’
‘He has something to give him,’ Lucien answered. ‘I don’t know what it is, but it seems to be something he thinks will assure his place in the higher ranks. Like I said, he’s an ambitious little bastard.’
Elias pursed his lips thoughtfully as his eyes narrowed.
‘Tell me why you want Faraday,’ Elias said quietly, his dark eyes intense.
’None of your business,’ Lucien hedged. ‘I’m not asking why you want Bower, am I?’
Elias glanced back at his house, to the women inside that were under his protection, no matter how capable they were individually. He turned back to Lucien and studied him carefully. They’d been friends once, good friends. Even though he obviously hadn’t known his deepest secrets, he still believed he had the measure of the man and the man he’d known had been loyal and good.
‘Lucien, I don’t have that kind of warding around my home for no reason. If you want me to invite you into my world, you have to give me a reason.’
Lucien stared at him, seemingly gauging his limited options. Ultimately deciding he didn’t want to take on the Veritas by himself he drew in a resigned breath.
‘Faraday has one of my brothers,’ he replied reluctantly, ‘Dante. Our other brother Cole has been traveling the Americas for the last twenty years. I’ve sent word, but he’s still another month away from returning. He won’t be here in time. I need to get to Faraday now. If I lose him again, I lose any chance of finding Dante. I’m going to get my brother back, and once I do, I’m not going to stop until I’ve destroyed the Veritas,’ he growled dangerously. ‘We were always good friends Elias; I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw you. It was as if fate were smiling upon me. We trusted each other once,’ he held out his hand, ‘Trust me again.’
Elias hesitated for a moment before reaching out and clasping Lucien’s hand.
‘Then you’d better come inside,’ Elias’s eyes darkened, ‘there’s someone you need to meet.’
22
Olivia stared down at the strange man in Elias’s study, her eyes narrowed, her arms folded across her chest. He was good looking in a rugged sort of way, with inky black hair and dark eyes. Even with the scruffy beginnings of a beard, there was something wolfish, almost canine about him.
He smelled of smoke and ash, he was ripe with it. She could also feel the heat of him across the room. This was no ordinary man, it was quite obvious, and if what Elias told her and their paths had indeed crossed over seventy years ago, that would also make him either incredibly long lived or possibly an immortal, although the former was most likely.
There was a strange feeling in her gut. Not a sense of familiarity that they had met before, more a sense that she should know what he was.
‘Lucien is it?’ she finally spoke.
‘Yes Ma’am,’ he replied as he too studied her with open curiosity and just a hint of confusion.
Lucien watched the woman carefully. Slim and of average height, she had dark hair and strange whiskey colored eyes. She didn’t seem all that remarkable from first glance, but the others all seemed to unconsciously defer to her.
He inhaled deeply and caught her scent from across the room, something dark and smoky, ripe with power. This was no ordinary witch; there was something about her.
He was a large man, tough, proud and one of the strongest of his race, but something about that woman made him want to bow his head and supplicate himself before her. That didn’t sit well with him.
‘What are you?’ she asked bluntly.
Even the unconscious command in her voice made him want to howl. It was disconcerting, he’d never had such a reaction to anyone before.
‘That doesn’t matter,’ he clenched his teeth against the sudden compulsion to tell her the truth. ‘I’m here to offer my help with Bower in return for Elias’s assistance in taking Faraday.’
‘Lucien,’ she replied calmly, ‘it really isn’t that simple.’
‘It is that simple,’ he growled, a shockingly animal like sound deep in his throat, ‘and I am not about to explain myself to a woman.’
‘ENOUGH,’ Olivia snapped, her eyes blazing,
She could feel the coiled power beneath his skin, his turmoil and inner struggle, and suddenly she understood why.
‘You’re born of the Hell dimensions, aren’t you?’ her voice softened.
He growled again, this time less aggressively and more of frustration.
‘What are you?’ she asked again calmly.
The compulsion to obey her was too much and as disgusted as he was with his weakness, he couldn’t stop the words from being forced past his lips.
‘A Hell Hound,’ he hissed the confession. ‘I am a Hell Hound.’
‘A Hell Hound?’ Olivia replied softly as her eyes narrowed. ‘I’ve seen Hell Hounds before, and they looked nothing like you. They were mangy and dead looking, their matted fur rotting and hanging from their skeletal forms.’
He scoffed loudly in disgust.
‘Black dogs,’ he grated from between clenched teeth. ‘They are abominations, they are not true Hell Hounds. They were brought into being by the demons as servants. They were created, not born.’
‘So, there are more of you? A race of Hell Hounds?’ she enquired curiously.
‘Yes,’ he ground out unable to stop himself from answering.
‘I assume you can transform somehow, take another form?’
‘Yes,’ he ground out once again.
‘Fascinating,’ she murmured, ‘so you are Hell born. How is it you are able to walk the Earth?’
‘The same as your friend there,’ he lifted his chin toward Scarlett who was perched comfortably on the edge of the heavy desk beside Olivia. ‘She’s Heaven born; she reeks of it.’
‘Rude,’ Scarlett murmured dryly.
Lucien muttered, but the language which fell from his tongue was unlike anything they’d ever heard before. It was ancient and unfamiliar to everyone but Olivia, who after he’d finished his brief tirade, answered him, much to his instant shock. The language flowed from her lips impeccable and fluid, but even though Scarlett and Elias couldn’t understand the words there was no mistaking the authority of her tone.
‘Who are you?’ Lucien breathed in shock, ‘no human can speak our tongue.’ He glanced at Elias. ‘When I first met Elias in Prague, I sensed his power, but also his lack of control and his confusion. I thought him to be a mere witch, not even a witch. I knew he had the potential, but he seemed too reluctant to embrace that part of himself. Witches are not long lived; they have a mortal lifespan. I never expected to see him again, especially not like this. Yet here he is, in the company of an Angel and you… At first, I took you for another witch, but there is something else, something more about you. A power and authority I’ve never seen before.’ He sniffed the air deeply, ‘you smell like flames, but it’s like no fire I’ve ever experienced.’
Olivia continued to watch him carefully, gauging whether or not they could trust him.
‘Please,’ he asked, his tone now more confused than angry, ‘who are you?’
Olivia turned to Scarlett.
&n
bsp; ‘You may as well tell him,’ she said to Olivia quietly. ‘He’s Hell born, which technically puts him under your authority.’ Her mouth curved slightly, ‘Queen of Hell, remember? Time to step into those boots.’
Olivia sighed and turned back to Lucien who was watching them intently.
‘Very well,’ she conceded, ‘my name is Olivia Beckett West and I am the Guardian of Infernum.’
‘Inferanati?’ he whispered, ‘impossible. The Hell Book is a myth.’
‘No,’ she replied, ‘it isn’t. It’s a little complicated but it chose me. I am the Guardian of all the Hell dimensions, including Hell itself, which by extension I guess, makes me your boss.’
‘You are lying,’ he growled.
‘Okay,’ she released a slow breath, ‘you asked for it.’
She crossed the few steps toward him and reached up, laying her fingers against his burning hot skin. Her eyes instantly flashed pure gold, and her skin began to glow and pulse with power. Everything in the room began to tremble and shake as if caught in the aftershocks of an earthquake. Suddenly her firedrake Manny burst into flame upon her shoulder, his wings spread wide, snapping with flames as he dug his claws in, hissing loudly at Lucien.
Lucien stared up, eyes wide and mouth open, as bright multi-colored flames licked at Olivia’s skin, rippling along her arms.
‘I am the Guardian of the Hell book,’ even her voice seemed slightly deeper, resonating with a strangely choral cadence. ‘I am the daughter of Fire. I wield God Fire, borne from the grate of Zeus on Mount Olympus itself, by Prometheus and gifted to my bloodline. I am the only one who can summon the ancient fires, Earth Fire, Hell Fire, Spirit Fire, Witch Fire and Demon Fire.’
Lucien stumbled back a pace, his eyes glassy with shock, as he beheld a being of living flame.
‘Eve’s not the only one around here whose power packs a punch,’ Scarlett remarked calmly to Elias, who, much the same as his friend Lucien, was staring at Olivia in wide eyed astonishment.
Olivia slowly banked her flames, her skin returning to normal as did her eye color. The only thing that remained was Manny. Startled awake, he stretched and hopped down onto the desk, sending papers with singed edges skittering off the edge. He clambered over the remaining papers and settled himself next to Scarlett, rubbing his head up against her, like a cat who wished to be petted. She obliged him, stroking his head gently, as unaffected by his flames as Olivia was. Strangely enough, Scarlett was still the only other person he would approach affectionately.
Lucien stared at Olivia, breathing heavily as he knelt before her.
‘Maia Qua’talla,’ he murmured, as he bowed his head. There was nothing submissive in the gesture, but it was filled with respect and awe.
‘What’s a Katalla?’ Elias asked.
‘Not Katalla,’ Olivia replied as she watched Lucien’s bowed head. ‘Qua’talla. There is no direct translation, but I guess the closest word would be Queen.’
‘Queen?’ Elias replied dryly.
Olivia shrugged.
‘His language not mine,’ she said thoughtfully.
‘Maia Qua’talla eya est sarve,’ he told her sincerely.
‘Lucien,’ she replied, ‘on your feet. While I appreciate the sentiment, I don’t need a servant,’ she told him, ‘I need an ally. Elias tells me, Faraday took your brother?’
Lucien rose slowly to his feet.
‘Yes,’ he nodded, ‘my brother Dante.’
‘From where?’
‘We were in Paris at the time,’ he told her.
‘Then there’s a good chance he isn’t being held in London,’ Olivia mused. ‘Look, Bower took something from me, something very important. It is vital I get it back. If what you have told us is true, he plans to give it to Faraday. That cannot be allowed to happen. Failing all else we cannot let Faraday get his hands on it. If he does, he and the Veritas will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to find out where your brother is, but we need to get to Bower before he gets to Faraday.’
‘What did he steal?’ Lucien asked curiously.
‘An Hourglass,’ Olivia answered, ‘and it’s very important.’
He stared at each of them in turn, seemingly gauging his options, before finally turning back to Olivia.
‘Very well,’ he inclined his head, ‘I will help you.’
‘Thank you,’ she told him sincerely. ‘Now, you said they were building a secret headquarters beneath the ground, that can be accessed by the station?’
‘That is correct.’
‘They’re nothing if not consistent,’ Olivia muttered to Scarlett, before turning back to Lucien. ‘Where is the entrance exactly?’
‘I couldn’t say,’ he shook his head. ‘That’s the one thing I haven’t managed to find out. The entrance is concealed.’
‘It won’t matter if we can get to Bower before he heads for the secret whatever it is,’ Elias replied. ‘You said he is standing in front of the camera when the picture is taken. I say we grab him then and make him hand it over.’
‘We can’t risk it,’ Olivia frowned, ‘too many innocent bystanders.’
‘Olivia’s right,’ Scarlett agreed, ‘too many witnesses. If we have to use magic or they do, it will be in full view of the public at one of the busiest events of the century. We can’t risk that kind of exposure. The last thing we want to do is spark another witch hunt. We can’t be sure how much we’ve damaged the timeline already just by being here.’
‘Timeline?’ Lucien frowned, ‘what do you mean?’
‘Never mind,’ Olivia shook her head. ‘It would be better if we could discreetly grab him and drag him into a dark corner, but the chances are that’s not going to happen. If we can figure out where this secret meeting room is and get there before he does, then we can lay in wait and we have the upper hand. He won’t know he’s walking into a trap and better still if Faraday is there.’ Olivia’s eyes narrowed dangerously, ‘he and I will be having a little chat.’
‘But we still need to find it,’ Scarlett mused. ‘Last time it was inside the train tunnel itself. There’s no way we can get down there and find a concealed doorway in the dark before getting hit by a train.’
‘I don’t think it’s in the tunnel,’ Lucien replied. ‘I’ve followed the one called Prentice several times and there’s a particular place in Farringdon Street Station where he keeps disappearing. If the entrance is anywhere it’s there, but it’s not on any of the plans and I have not been able to find it.’
‘Could be concealed with magic,’ Olivia mused almost to herself, ‘but even if it is there… concealed by layers of magic…. an illusion to trick the eye…’
‘It’s still a physical doorway,’ Scarlett realized what Olivia was thinking… ‘Ada…’
‘Ada,’ Olivia agreed.
‘Might just work,’ Scarlett mused.
‘What are you talking about?’ Elias asked.
‘The actual entranceway to the Veritas’s secret rooms is a physical entrance, a doorway, but it’s being concealed from sight by magic. So, what we need is someone who sees with more than their eyes.’
‘Ada may be blind,’ Scarlett explained, ‘but she sees the world very differently to us. It’s hard to explain but it’s a little like echo location. She can feel the resonance of everything around her, she could easily detect a hidden doorway.’
‘It would put her in danger,’ Elias replied.
‘It won’t,’ Scarlett shook her head. ‘All we need is for her to identify the doorway; we wouldn’t put her in harm’s way.’
‘Luthor would never allow it,’ Elias shook his head.
‘Then we’ll take him with us too,’ Olivia replied. ‘A bit of extra muscle wouldn’t hurt. With a Hell hound, Thor the immortal and us, we’ll grab Bower, retrieve the Hourglass and if Faraday is there, so much the better. We can find out where he’s holding Lucien’s brother, Dante.’
‘You make it sound so simple,’ Luci
en stated.
‘Oh, believe me, it’s never that simple,’ Olivia answered. ‘There’s still a million things that could go wrong.’
‘Very well then,’ Lucien nodded, ‘I will see what else I can discover at Farringdon Street. If it suits, I will return the day after next.’
Olivia nodded.
‘Why don’t you see him out Elias?’ Olivia looked at her brother in law.
‘Of course,’ he muttered heading toward the door. ‘I mean, it’s not like we have a butler or anything.’
Lucien dipped his cap to Olivia and Scarlett and followed Elias from the room. The minute the door was closed Olivia turned back to Scarlett.
‘Do you trust him?’
‘I think so, for now’ Olivia nodded. ‘I think I got a good enough read on him when I touched him. Because he’s a creature of Hell, he is technically under my authority. I guess we’ll find out how far that authority stretches, but for now, as long as our interests align with his, we could use him. Although we’re specifically going for Bower, we just don’t know how many of the Veritas we’re going to come up against.’
‘Seems sensible,’ Scarlett agreed. ‘Now tell me whatever it was you didn’t want to say in front of Elias.’
Olivia pursed her lips thoughtfully and drew in a breath.
‘I don’t think we should take Eve anywhere near that place.’
‘Something I happen to agree with,’ Scarlett replied. ‘We could leave her here; it’s well protected.’
‘It is,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘but I’d feel better if someone was with her.’
‘I take it by someone you mean Elias?’ Scarlett guessed.
Olivia nodded.
‘Whether he consciously realizes it or not, he’s personally invested in her. He won’t let anyone harm her. Besides, right now, he’s not on their radar. The Veritas don’t know he’s a witch, or the kind of power he possesses. He’s still inexperienced but he has great potential. You’ve seen a fraction of what he’s capable of in the future.’
Scarlett nodded in agreement.
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