Ordained (The Immortal Archives)

by Devon Ashley

  “No,” he interrupted. “You will not be fighting him. You’re going to trap him, just like your previous self did. Get in, get out.”

  “Noel,” she said softly. She was patronizing him now.

  “No!” he cried, knocking several books on the floor as he spun around. “There’s a reason you trapped him before. He kills everything.”

  “So did Eraticus,” she contested.

  “Yeah, including you, remember?” he added hotly.

  “He didn’t kill me,” she rebutted bluntly.

  “He won that fight and you know it! The only reason I let you –”

  “Let me?” she roared.

  “—fight him again was because we found the weapon forged to destroy him. We haven’t found a weapon that destroys Morphus. There may not be one. So I’ll be damned if you’re going into that fight without a containment spell!”

  He suddenly felt hot. He snatched the water bottle from the table and finished it off. When done, he threw it aside and returned to the bookcases.

  Why is she so freakin’ stubborn?! After a moment, Abby broke the silence. “Do you wanna talk about what’s really bothering you?”

  No. He tried so hard not to think about it. His silence didn’t stop her.

  “There’s a chance I may not be coming back from this fight. And you can’t slip in to help me cause I’ll be in a dimension off-limits to you.”

  He didn’t answer but he did stop. He felt the disturbance in the air as she stepped beside him.

  “Noel, we knew this day would come. Just because I’m destined to be in this fight doesn’t mean I’m destined to survive it.”

  He hung his head and sighed. “I always thought we’d have more time.”

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  “I always thought that if one of us went…” He trailed off.

  “Then we both went,” Abby finished.

  “Yeah. A battle to the death. I was ready for that. Not a battle where I have to sit on the sidelines waiting to see how badly you’ll return. Or if you return at all.”

  Her arms wrapped around him. Reluctantly, he turned to face and embrace her. She buried her head in his neck.

  “Look, maybe the reason the spell isn’t here is because it’s in the next dimension.”

  “Hmm?” he mumbled as he pulled her in closer, breathing in the familiar, alluring scent from her hair.

  “I’m the guardian, right? And I’ll be transported to a chamber outside his lair. So, maybe –”

  Relieved, he interrupted, “It’s in the chamber. Protected so you’d be sure to find it. That’s it!” he cried. “Oh, thank you God.”

  Noel happily bent down and buried his head into Abby’s neck. Pressure suddenly released; he felt lighter.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Abby wandered the hallway dazed, tracing the lines on her palm. She snapped out of her trance and looked over her shoulder as she rounded the corner. No one was there. She waited a few seconds, then turned backed again. Jayden was nearing the edge. He jumped back when he realized he’d been caught.

  She wanted desperately to slam him against the wall, but remembering her promise to Noel, she withheld the urge. Annoyed, she abruptly asked, “Why are you following me?”

  “I’m not,” he sneered.

  Abby grabbed his throat and slammed his body against the wall with such force the aged wall sprinkled flakes into the air. He gripped her forearms tightly.

  “Let’s try this again. Why – are – you – following – me?”

  He gasped for air. “I was told to keep an eye on you.”

  “That will be difficult to do once I pop your eyes out, don’t you think?” She released her grip and allowed him to fall to the floor. “Which is exactly what I’ll do if I find you near me again. Got it?”

  Jayden scampered around the corner without answering. Abby continued on through the dead-end hallway and entered the basement through the bookcase.

  Valerie was asleep on the sofa as Abby descended the stairs. The mp3 player across her stomach was shuffling, finally choosing Dust. She leaned in to wake her but stopped when she realized there was a glow beneath Valerie’s eyelids. Curious, she leaned in further. In an instant, the glow diminished.

  Valerie gasped and sprung to life. Her head jumped forward and smacked into Abby’s. Both cried out in pain and held their head.

  “Sorry!” Valerie burst.

  “Yeah, no problem. Vision?” Abby asked, rubbing her forehead.

  Frustrated, Valerie ripped the ear buds from her head. “Yeah, again.”

  “How often do you get those?”

  “Usually several times a day but lately they’ve been few and far apart. And the same vision for some reason.”

  “And that’s not normal?”

  Valerie began to pace. She rubbed her arms continuously to heat her body in the cold room. “No, I’ve never fixated on the same vision repeatedly before.”

  “So what’s it about?”

  “You,” she said bluntly.

  “Me?” Abby asked. “Good or bad?”

  “I don’t know. I’m running through the pouring down rain looking for you and I finally find you over by the cliffs. Just as I’m about to tell you something, you turn around…”

  “And?”

  “And that’s it. It always ends there. I can’t believe this is happening!” She threw herself back into the sofa and caressed the amulet around her neck. “I never have this problem!”

  “What’s that you’re wearing?” Abby asked, sitting next to Valerie on the sofa.

  “My mother’s amulet, and her mother’s before that. It’s been passed down to the women in my family for generations.”

  Valerie leaned in so Abby could examine it closer. She needn’t have. Abby’s vision was beyond superb and could see the finest details from where she was.

  “What’s on it?”

  “It’s a rose quartz surrounded by a ring of bay leaves. It induces clairvoyancy. The Order would love to get their hands on it.”

  “Would it even work for those without the gift?”

  “Somewhat, but nothing like mine. Where I would see the vision clearly, a select few would see fragments. Most would never see anything at all. Do you wanna try?”

  Valerie removed her amulet and placed it in Abby’s hands. She squeezed the amulet, closed her eyes and concentrated. Five seconds…ten. Nothing happened. Abby opened her eyes and returned the amulet.

  “Guess I’m not one of the select few.”

  “Actually, it’s probably cause it’s difficult to will a vision.” She returned the amulet to its usual domain. “Can I see your gem?”

  Abby reached for the garnet cross draped around her neck.

  “Not that,” Valerie said. “Although, I’ve gotta tell you, it’s a little freaky to see a vampire wearing a cross without getting burned.”

  “Only the mutated vampires are evil. Holy water and crosses don’t burn pure vampires.”

  “Still freaky. Anyways, I was referring to your ring.”

  Abby passed it over and Valerie examined it. The ring was once her mother’s. Bronze and ornate, the gem’s exterior was real but hollow inside. A small but potent amount of potion was stored inside in case of emergency.

  “How does it work?”

  “You really do know way too much about me,” Abby said, eyeing her suspiciously. “There’s a tiny clasp on the side.”

  Valerie hit it. A short needle popped out through the elaborate ornate details. It was designed for the forefinger, easily set off with the flick of the thumb, then twisted to the inside of the hand.

  “How strong is the tranquilizer?”

  “It’ll knock you out for about fifteen minutes.”

  “For anything?” Valerie’s eyes rose.

  “I’ve only used it on humans. They seem to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Valerie returned the ring. Abby reset it and put it back on again.

  “I know
why you really wear it,” she said solemnly.

  Abby didn’t answer; she didn’t doubt her either. She always knew Noel would be willing to follow her to the grave, but she would never let him go through with it. She wore the ring because the day would come when she would need to use it on him.

  Sensing a lull, Valerie continued. “So what about your gifts? What can you do besides heal?”

  “I can conjure the elements: wind, lightning, rain…fire.”

  “You don’t like that one, do you?”

  “No, no I don’t,” Abby stated quickly.

  She stood up and began walking around the room. She had yet to notice the painting before her. It was a rainy evening in eighteenth century Paris. Up close, the colors and brushstrokes were soothing to the eye, trancelike even. She and Noel spent a few years there. It had always been one of her favorite cities.

  “Someone with the power of conjuring elements could basically control the weather, right?”

  “To an extent. The effects wouldn’t go too far though.”

  “Then why didn’t you use it the night you got hurt? You barely beat the sun back. You could have turned the sky gray, blocked out the sun.”

  “It takes a lot of energy to draw that kind of power. I was weak and dizzy from the blood loss.”

  Abby headed for the staircase. “Look, I’m going stir-crazy in this place. Think I’m gonna exercise. Want a private training lesson?”

  Valerie dismissed the idea with the wave of her hand. “The Order doesn’t like for me to train. They prefer my reflex to be ‘flight rather than fight’.”

  Abby huffed and shook her head in astonishment. “You know, nothing’s changed. Even after two hundred years ignorance still reigns. What the hell happens if your only path is blocked?”

  Valerie pondered. The thought had never crossed her mind before.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Noel leaned over the arena balcony as Abby taught Valerie a few new skills. Saying she hadn’t trained since childhood was an understatement. She had no flexibility, no agility, not even the sense to perform a simple forward stance. Lucky for her, she had a trainer that wouldn’t mock her obvious failures and vulnerabilities. Abby allowed Valerie to move at her own pace, which in this case, proved to be slower than evolution.

  Noel felt a slight twinge down his neck, felt vibrations from the floor growing stronger as its maker neared. The soft, slow steps were familiar and wandered aimlessly without rush or purpose.

  “Hey cradle-robber,” Emily joked as she joined him at the banister’s edge.

  He got that a lot - particularly from those within his organization. “Abby was twenty years old when we married.”

  “Yeah, but you were like - well, actually, you were already dead by the time you met her.”

  He thought on her comment. Abby hadn’t been completely honest with Emily about their past; he wasn’t dead at the time.

  “Thirty-four.”

  “You met her when she was three years old. You carried her around.”

  “I still do that on occasion. And it’s not like I watched her grow up. She was three, then sixteen.”

  “Cradle-robber,” she said quietly, playfully.

  They watched in silence for a few moments. Finally getting the current skill, Abby began teaching Valerie the next: a simple spin kick. On her first attempt, she spun too far, missed her target and fell to the floor laughing.

  “For someone that never opens up to people, Abby sure has taken to Valerie.”

  “Envious?” Noel teased.

  “No,” she said, turning the word into multiple syllables.

  “It’s not really that surprising. They seem to be one and the same.”

  “How so?”

  “Both are magically gifted. Both have been taken advantage of by the Order. Both spent their adolescent years as outcasts. It’s easy for them to relate.”

  “Both are quiet and secretive,” Emily added quietly.

  Noel murmured in agreement. Guess he wasn’t the only one picking up on that lately.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Winter was truly fading now. Valerie had always loved the snowy season, even though the Christmas holidays were typically depressing for her. She rarely got to see her father and brother anymore. Her mother she missed the most. Her sudden passing when Valerie was twelve was what drove her family apart. Through the years, she became an exact replica of her mother and it was the reason her father found it difficult to visit. Her brother Nils came by now and then, but her absence from the family home in Bern kept them from being close.

  Normally she longed for spring time, for the bright colors and fresh greenery that bloomed just outside her window. The warm breeze would carry soft floral fragrances into her suite, forcing out the musty smell that had accumulated all winter long. The birds would return and end the dulling silence that came naturally with the winter season.

  But this year she feared the climatic shift. With spring would come death to so many she knew. She hadn’t seen it yet but she could sense it. Every time she was on the brink of sleep, every time she felt that magical tingle that tried to lead her to the futuristic images. For the first time in a long time, she feared what might be brought to her eyes.

  She wandered the halls at a quick pace. Her visions typically arrived when she was calm and relaxed, everything she was when she locked herself away in her room. Her lack of visions the past few months hadn’t diminished completely by themselves. Internally, she was fighting them. She was tired of the death, the terrorized faces, and the horrendous images of those she grew up with. She didn’t want to know their fates anymore.

  She was determined to keep moving, to keep busy, to keep her mind on anything but reality. She knew the quicker she moved and the more distracted she was, the less likely those images would taint her sight.

  Valerie stopped momentarily to glance into the library. Noel was still there from the last time she passed. He was buried in a pile of books, his head swung back over the edge of the sofa, sound asleep.

  She continued down the hallway, following the cracks traveling alongside the wall with her hand. Up and down and backwards and forwards. Once she realized the motion was having a trance-like effect on her, she pulled her attention away and shook the dazed feeling from her head.

  A few minutes later she came up behind Abby, hiding a weapon under the clothing on her backside and pulling on her jacket.

  “Going out?” she asked.

  “Yeah. There are a few ingredients I need to pick up at that wicca shop in town. Noel used up quite a bit healing me.”

  “Oh,” Valerie said disappointedly. She was really hoping Abby would become her next distraction, seeing how her present method was failing her.

  “Wanna come?”

  Wouldn’t she? Ha! “I’ve been placed on house arrest pending the outcome of your battle.”

  “So?” she said defiantly, pushing the back door open, exiting the manor.

  For the slightest moment, Valerie actually debated the issue.

  The path they took towards town had been well trampled during the season. The snow had turned to a dingy slush. The brown decayed matter was sticking to the bottom of her shoes courtesy of the muddy underlay.

  They hadn’t really said anything to one another since the manor - not that silence really bothered her. Valerie had the feeling Abby wasn’t uncomfortable. But she did seem confounded.

  “Are you using your senses to scan for trouble?”

  “Huh?” Abby said, breaking her daze. “Oh, no. Just thinking.”

  “Well, could you?” Valerie asked worriedly. “I don’t want to die tonight.”

  Valerie could sense the smile on Abby’s face before she even had a chance to jest. “Panic much? Just relax. Trust me when I say, if there actually is a demon out here, it’s far more interested in me than you. You’ll have plenty of time for flight.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t help me relax,” she whined. Her heart was beating
so fast. She had never deliberately disobeyed the rules before. She could feel the panic attack building in her chest. “So how many times have you turned evil?”

  Abby did a double take. The question was rather abrupt.

  “Seriously?” she asked once the shock wore off. “This you wanna talk about when you’re already freaking out?”

  Valerie thought briefly. Anything was better than nothing. “Yes. So how many times?”

  “Thrice,” she said, holding up three fingers over her shoulder.

  “Obviously the first was when you ki –,” Valerie paused, “were banished. When was the second?”

  “Not long after. Needless to say, I left here with a lot of anger issues.”

  “Imagine that,” Valerie cut in sarcastically.

  “The path was inevitable but the first two times were easy enough to come back from. I really just needed to vent and get the rage out of my system.”

  “And what exactly in your mind classifies you as going evil?”

  “When I lose complete control over myself and my powers. I have absolutely no mindfulness about consequences and absolutely no remorse for my actions or the horrible things I inflict upon others. I do what I want, to who I want and don’t think twice about it.”

  Abby jumped a fallen tree in the path. Aware of her limitations, Valerie tried to step over it. Half way she realized she couldn’t reach, sat on her bum and twisted the rest of the way.

  “When was the last time?”

  “Summer 1912.”

  “That’s rather specific,” Valerie stated.

  “Probably cause I did that one to myself,” Abby said, coming to a stop.

  Valerie was winded and breathing heavily. She wasn’t used to hiking at Abby’s pace and had absolutely no enjoyment thinking about the upward climb she’d have to suffer later that night.

  “I was so determined to save a friend from death that I was willing to do anything to achieve it. It started out innocent enough. All my spells were good magic. But when those failed, I dipped into the dark. A little bit here, little bit there, until I was completely engulfed.” Abby started kicking stones in the path. “The sad part was, I knew it was happening to me and I just didn’t care. I kept pushing the limits, until finally…I was gone. And so was my friend.”