Light's Rise (Light in the Darkness Book 1)

by Yvette Bostic

  Chapter 23

  When we arrived at the gates, we were both severely shaken by what we had seen.

  “We need to see Mikel, quickly!” I said as the guards opened the gates and we rushed to the tower. I pushed open the door to his office without knocking to find Eli and Juana already there. Mikel looked at me with displeasure until he saw our expression.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  I quickly told him about the demons trying to possess the two women, and that one of them was successful.

  “I believe the Csökkent are using the estate as a base to summon demons and then find suitable bodies to possess.” I was trying to calm my nerves, but the memory of the woman that died kept resurfacing in my mind.

  Mikel, Eli, and Juana looked at me with shock and disbelief.

  “Do you know how many Csökkent were in the house?” Mikel finally asked.

  “At least two, but there could have been more,” I replied. “I should’ve stayed to determine their numbers, but I panicked. I’ve never seen a demon possess a human before, and I assumed that the human always lived. It was horrifying watching that woman die.”

  “It’s okay, Darian,” Juana said softly, trying to assuage my guilt. “I’ve never seen it done either. I’m not sure I would’ve stayed as calm as you did.”

  “Take a deep breath and tell us from the beginning,” Mikel said.

  I told them about our arrival and Cyrus seeing the footman. I then described the empty servants’ hall and kitchen, as well as the empty bedroom.

  “It sounds like two Csökkent living in those bedrooms, and at least one servant is possessed,” Eli said.

  “Yes, as well as Marie,” I added. “Are they using the empty bedroom to summon demons? Or are they doing that somewhere else? I thought they needed a fire to summon them.”

  “They do,” Mikel replied. “Did you notice if there was a fireplace in that room?”

  I closed my eyes, trying to remember, but I couldn’t.

  “I’m not sure,” I replied reluctantly. “I noticed the room was empty, but I wasn’t looking for a fireplace.”

  We sat in silence for a few minutes, each of us lost in our thoughts. I was certain we needed to go back and free Marie from the demon, then eliminate the Csökkent. They could not be allowed to operate like that so openly.

  “I think we have to assume they are summoning the demons within the house,” Mikel said, breaking the silence. “The demons would not be able to walk through the streets to get there. I have a plan to eliminate the Csökkent and free the two who are possessed, but it will require all of us returning to the house.

  We nodded and listened to Mikel’s plan. Cyrus and I would go with Mikel to try to free Marie and the footman. Eli, Juana, and Adalina would find the Csökkent and any remaining demons.

  “Eli, find Adalina and meet us at the base of the tower,” Mikel said as we stood to leave. “Raphael has a surprise for us downstairs.”

  We only had to wait a few minutes for Adalina and Eli to arrive.

  “Follow me.” Mikel motioned us towards one of the doors that I had walked by dozens of times. “Raphael has been working on a way for us to travel into the tower rather than having to run all the way from the gates.” He winked at Adalina and opened the door. Raphael was inside the small room, staring at the floor with an intense look of concentration on his face.

  “I think it works,” Raphael said, still looking at the floor. “Each one of you will need to be attuned to the rune, then you will be able to travel here into the tower.”

  “Do we have time for this right now?” I asked, feeling like we were wasting time.

  “Yes, you only need to step on the rune,” Raphael replied.

  Each of us took turns stepping on the rune, then Mikel turned to us.

  “Cyrus, can you take Eli and Juana to the house? Darian will bring Adalina and me.”

  Cyrus looked over at me. “Where do we want to take them? The servants’ hall might work, or should we arrive outside?”

  “I think the servants’ hall is better,” I replied. “All of us appearing from nowhere in the garden might startle a few people.”

  He nodded, then disappeared with Eli and Juana. I followed right behind him with Mikel and Adalina. The hallway was still empty when we arrived. I quietly explained the layout of the rooms upstairs. Mikel suggested that we investigate the rooms with our minds first to determine where everyone was. Juana and I focused on the rooms downstairs, while Mikel checked the rooms upstairs.

  “All the upstairs rooms are empty,” Mikel said.

  “The kitchen, butler’s pantry, sitting room, and library are empty as well,” I added.

  “There are six people in the dining room, sitting at a very large table,” Juana stated. “They don’t appear to be eating anything, only sitting there, talking. The drawing room is empty, but the parlor has a half-dozen demons.”

  “That complicates matters,” Mikel said with concern. “I hoped that the people possessed would be separated.” He paused then looked at our group. “Let’s stick to the plan, with one exception; Adalina will join Cyrus, Darian, and myself. I trust that a half-dozen demons will be no match for you?” he asked Eli and Juana.

  “Not at all,” Eli confirmed with a grin, and they headed downstairs towards the parlor.

  “We know for certain there are two people possessed in that room, as well as two Csökkent,” Mikel said quietly as we walked down the hall. “The other two are unknowns. Let’s try not to kill anyone other than the Csökkent until we can confirm who’s there.”

  We all confirmed our instructions and made our way to the dining room. When we arrived at the door, we heard irate voices inside. I strained to listen and could barely make out what was being said.

  “Marie, why won’t you tell us who these men are?” a man’s voice asked. I thought I recognized the voice, but truly hoped I was wrong.

  “They have shown me another way to achieve our goals,” a woman’s voice replied. I assumed it was Marie.

  “Have they?” he asked skeptically. “And what has become of your aunt?”

  “My aunt’s well-being is not your concern,” she replied irritably. “Make your choice, Robert. Will you join our cause, or will you continue to ride the fence, waiting to see who will win?”

  My suspicions were confirmed, and I hoped he had not brought Paulette with him. I leaned in to our group and relayed my thoughts. Mikel confirmed that he understood who they were.

  “Darian, can you and Cyrus sneak in and silence the Csökkent?” Mikel asked quietly.

  “Yes,” I replied then looked at Cyrus. “We’ll use the same method with them as we did with the demons upstairs, except that you will have one while I take the other. Can you do this?” I saw the nervousness in his eyes. Killing a demon one was thing, but killing a human being, no matter how evil they are, is something entirely different.

  “I think so,” he replied with nervous determination.

  “Let’s go.”

  Cyrus and I concealed ourselves as I slowly pushed open the door just far enough to peer inside. The Csökkent and Marie had their backs to the door, but Robert and Paulette were facing us. The footman was standing against the wall just to the left of the door. I hoped his focus would remain on the conversation and not on the door. I pushed it open just far enough for Cyrus and me to slip through, then very slowly let it close again. We snuck up behind the two Csökkent, and I held up three fingers, which I counted down to two, then one. I slit the throat of the Csökkent in front me and looked at Cyrus. He had hesitated, and the man reacted very quickly, throwing his chair back against Cyrus’s legs, forcing him to lose his balance. I thrusted my dagger in between the ribs of the Csökkent and wrapped my hand around his mouth just as he spoke the last of his spell. A bolt of lightning shot towards Cyrus. He rolled to the side just as it scorched the rug where he had been. He jumped to his feet and disappeared, reappearing behind the footman, just in time to wrap him in a cho
kehold before the man could stab me in the back. I pushed the now dead Csökkent to the floor and helped Cyrus contain the footman. Adalina burst through the door with Mikel following close behind her. Marie screamed, but it was not her voice. Mikel had her immobilized, and the thick black fog oozed away from Marie as Mikel separated the demon from her. Adalina was waiting beside Marie, and as soon as she was free from the demon, Adalina caught her and handed her over to Robert. He looked at her with shock and confusion.

  “What are you doing?” he finally said with disbelief.

  “Hold on to her!” Adalina yelled. “She’ll be alright as long as we can keep the demon from her.”

  The demon cackled. “My brethren will have heard the commotion and will be here momentarily,” he said with an evil grin spreading across his gaunt features.

  Mikel’s response was a thin, white blade removing his head. As the demon’s head rolled across the floor, the wide double doors at the end of the room burst open. We all looked up to see Eli and Juana, weapons raised and smiles on their faces.

  “Did we miss all the fun?” Eli asked with disappointment.

  “Yes, and so did I!” Adalina added with a pout. “Darian and Cyrus took care of everything before we even got in the door.”

  “Are you forgetting about the footman?” I asked. Cyrus and I were still holding on to him, but he quit fighting us when the other demon died.

  Mikel looked towards the footman. “Are there any other houses being used the same as this one?” he asked the demon.

  The footman’s voice was harsh and gravelly. “Why would I tell you anything? You will kill me regardless, so there is no benefit for me.”

  “He’s right,” Adalina said without compassion.

  “Wait!” Paulette finally found her voice. “Please let me leave. I cannot watch anymore.” Her voice shook, and tears streamed down her face. She had spoken in French, and I realized that she probably didn’t understand any of the previous conversation that was spoken in English.

  Mikel looked at her with compassion, and Robert laid his hand on her shoulder.

  “Robert, can you take her to the other room for a moment?” I asked in French, ensuring that they would understand.

  He nodded. “Yes, but someone will need to take Marie.” His normal composure was shattered as he stood, holding an unconscious woman while also trying to console his wife. Eli stepped forward and took Marie from him. The two of them left through the door that Eli and Juana had entered.

  Mikel turned to Cyrus. “Do you want to try the technique I talked about to remove the demon?”

  Cyrus nodded, and his face strained with his efforts to pull the demon from the footman. He shook his head with disappointment. “I cannot feel the connection we spoke of, Mikel. I‘m sorry, but I don’t think I can do it.”

  “It’s okay, Cyrus,” Mikel replied. “It was worth a try.”

  Mikel turned to the footman and started pulling the demon from him. When the demon was separated from the man, he laughed harshly.

  “The master’s plan is working exactly as intended,” he said with an evil smile. “You cannot stop what has begun.”

  Mikel removed the demon’s head, then he and Juana incinerated the bodies.

  “Did you burn the demons in the other room as well?” he asked her.

  “Yes, there is no evidence of their existence,” she replied.

  “Let’s take these two into the drawing room and try to calm Robert and Paulette,” Mikel said. “They will have many questions.”

  Eli carried Marie while I draped the footman over one shoulder and took him into the drawing room. Robert and Paulette were sitting on one of the sofas, whispering to one another. Paulette was still very distraught. Robert stood with a mixture of fear, anger, and confusion.

  “What just happened in there?” he shouted.

  Mikel started to explain as we tried to make our newly unpossessed friends comfortable on the floor.

  “It’s very complicated, but I’ll try to keep it short and to the point,” Mikel began. “The two men in robes were called Csökkent. They’re an ancient cult who summon the demons that you saw me remove from your friends.” He motioned towards the unconscious bodies lying on the floor. “The Csökkent require sacrifices to summon the demons. I assume that’s what happened to the servants who lived here.” Paulette gasped and paled even more than she already was. Mikel looked at her and asked, “Should I continue?”

  “Yes, please,” she replied with a weak voice before Robert had a chance to respond. “I need to hear this, regardless of how unpleasant it is.”

  Mikel nodded and looked at Robert. His expression was still confused, but less hostile.

  “I believe they summoned the demons here in this home in order to have easier access to hosts for possessions. It appears to have worked rather well for them until Darian and Cyrus discovered them.”

  “Who are you people?” Robert asked. “And why would these men choose to summon such evil creatures? What is their purpose?”

  “The Csökkent have served the same master for centuries. His name is Zar’Asur, and I believe it is the same man that you were supposed to meet in Russia,” Mikel replied, causing both of them to gasp at the realization of what could have happened to them.

  “We,” Mikel motioned to the rest of us standing in the room, “are here to protect humanity against Zar’Asur. It is his intent to destroy everything.”

  “This is impossible,” Robert said quietly then looked over at me. “This is what you warned me of, isn’t it? This is what happened to Suzette’s master as well?”

  I nodded. “I’m grateful that you and I met during Suzette’s struggle. I’m not sure I would’ve approached you in Russia had I not recognized you. Had I not approached you, we never would have discovered their plans here.”

  Robert rested his head in his hands, and Paulette laid her hand on his back. I understood their confusion and fear. They couldn’t walk away from this unchanged.

  “What do we do now?” Paulette asked.

  “Someone will need to care for Marie and her servant,” Mikel replied. “They will remember everything, so it will be extremely difficult for them to cope with.” He lowered his head in sadness. “Some people can’t cope with it, which is understandable.”

  Robert raised his head. “We can take them back to our home and care for them, but what do we tell the police? An entire household is missing.”

  “I don’t suggest telling them the truth,” Mikel replied. “They will never believe you, and it will put you on the top of the list of suspects.”

  Robert’s eyes widened as he realized the difficulties ahead of them.

  Adalina cleared her throat. “We should be going. Eli, Juana, and I have another urgent engagement to attend to.”

  “Yes! Thank you for the reminder,” Mikel said. “Be careful!”

  “Aren’t we always?” Adalina laughed, and the three of them disappeared.

  “That reminds me,” Robert said with renewed interest. “How did you get in here, and how did they just disappear?”

  Mikel shook his head and replied, “We cannot share our secrets.”

  Robert looked disappointed, but he didn’t argue.

  “Let us help you get these two into your carriage.”

  After everyone was in the carriage, Robert pulled me aside.

  “How do I get in touch with you if we notice something odd?” he asked.

  “You cannot get in touch with me, but I’ll be stopping by frequently to check on you,” I replied with a sad smile.

  He smiled uncertainly. “You have an open invitation to any event we’re hosting.”

  I held out my hand to him, and he shook it. “Be careful, Robert,” I said seriously. “No one else will know what happened here, but Zar’Asur will know that Marie is with you. He will assume that you have allied with us.”

  “It’s a correct assumption, my friend,” he replied with a determined smile. “We’ll be careful.”
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  Chapter 24

  Eli, Juana, and Adalina went back to Santuario to resupply before heading to the village where they had left their horses. When they arrived in the village, it was early evening. As they approached the inn, they heard loud voices coming from inside. They looked at each other with concern before opening the door. They stepped inside to find about twenty people sitting at several tables, eating. They were laughing, talking, and clearly enjoying one another’s company. The trio smiled as they spotted the innkeeper delivering a plate of food to a table in the corner. After he deposited the food, he looked up and saw them standing at the door.

  “Friends! Please come in and join us,” he bellowed with delight, then looked around at the full tables and shrugged his shoulders.

  “We’ll find a spot at the bar,” Eli called back, and they carefully wound their way through the crowd. “What’s the occasion?” he asked when they reached the bar.

  “A farmer from one of the villages south of here showed up this morning with two cows, two hogs, and three dozen chickens.” He beamed with joy at the generosity shown to them. “We haven’t had a decent meal in days, and the kids were starting to show it.” He motioned towards the room in front of him. Over half of the tables had at least three children enjoying their meal. “We sent word to our friends up north. I really hoped they would be here for dinner.” Some of the joy dissipated as he thought of the handful of people in the northern village.

  “Enough of our news,” he said. “What did you find in the mine?”

  Eli cleared his throat, reluctant to bring the news of their friends and family. “We found the ones responsible for taking your loved ones, and they have been destroyed.”

  The innkeeper realized what Eli’s omission meant, and his joyful expression turned to sadness. “You weren’t able to save our families, were you?”

  “I’m so sorry,” Eli replied. “We killed the ones who took them, but we were too late to save them.”