Cursed by Death

by Basia Pike

  My hands balled into fists. “Are you telling me you knew she would die?”

  He bit his lip and took a step back from me. “It has nothing to do with me. The people in charge felt that she was the right person to unite and make the group stronger.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I’m starting to wonder if we’re working for the bad guys here. No moral person would sacrifice someone in the hope it would make a group stronger. I would say if anything it has broken and demoralized us!” My whole body shuddered.

  “Elijah, it wasn’t a sacrifice, but if Mary couldn’t keep up then her death was inevitable. I didn’t pick her. My superiors did. And, let’s be honest if you had told the team you were a witch and accepted your powers back then she would still be alive.” My stomach churned. I knew that his words were true but hearing it from his made it hurt.

  “When are you going to reveal exactly who I am working for?” I asked.

  “In time you will come to learn that information.”

  Andre paced the floor of the little library and I glared at him. “I’m sure sending Tom to meet the candidates will allow him to make the correct and proper choice.” Andre stopped and peered at me over his glasses. “You’ve been using magic, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, is that a problem?” I gritted my teeth, the anger still welling inside of me.

  “Perhaps you should tell your team the truth. Your magic could be a powerful weapon against your opposition if used correctly. Surely you’ve learnt from Mary’s death that it is an important asset to have.”

  “I told you, I can’t tell them it’s against the rules. And, do you really think the team will still respect me if they know I’m a witch?”

  Andre seemed irritated but moved on. “Any other important news?” he asked.

  “There’s a mole. I don’t know if you know her, but I met Estella in Kent 1059. She can read minds.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I know Estella well. A lovely girl.”

  “Well, she read a Kugarar member, Jensen’s, mind, and he knew we were in Kent and of our existence. Which can only mean one thing...”

  “Someone here is not as they seem.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you have any idea who it is?” Andre asked, his hands poised together on the desk.

  “No, I mean … it could be anyone. Any of the staff or friends from outside the Verndarar, but somehow we need to ensure Verndarar information is kept confidential.”

  “Agreed. We will meet with the rest of the team and tell them. I assume you have already told Tom though?”

  “Yeah, I told him before I left.” Andre stood and paced the room.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Thinking,” he said, as he continued to walk up and down.

  “Who would betray us?” I asked.

  “It could be anyone. Are you still seeing Eve?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “No, but I didn’t even tell her where we were going or when. We argued before I left for Kent, so I ruled her out.”

  “Hmm … perhaps one of the staff. I’ve never trusted Molly in the kitchen…”

  “Andre, you can’t point fingers. As I said, we need to make it clear to everyone in private that no information can be discussed with anyone outside of the eight of us. Well, ten of us, if you include you and Helen.”

  “Very well. Call a meeting. But we will convene in here.” I looked around, a bit unsure that there was space for all of us to meet in there. It was definitely not the biggest library I had ever seen.

  “Why in here?” I asked.

  “Because I know it is secure. It’s protected by magic. Now, run along and gather everyone.”

  “Now? It’s four o’clock in the morning.”

  “I don’t care what time it is. Get them out of bed now.”

  I took in a deep breath and left him still pacing. Helen was sitting behind her desk. She stood as soon as she saw me.

  “Is everything alright?”

  I shook my head. “Do you mind helping me wake everyone up and getting them to join us down in Andre’s library?”

  “Andre’s library? Where’s that?”

  “It’s in a room off the dining room. I’d never seen it before either. He says it’s protected by magic.” She seemed a little bewildered but followed me up the stairs.

  “You take this side, I’ll take the other,” I said.

  We woke the members up and dragged them out of bed. The last door I came to was Josh’s. I banged for ages, and finally he appeared in his underwear, his hazel eyes barely open as he peered into the corridor.

  “Elijah… you’re back. What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing his eyes, his dark skin blending into the darkness of the room.

  “Josh. I’m sorry to do this, but Andre insists that we all meet downstairs now. Get dressed and meet us in the dining room.” Josh looked confused and tired but gave me a slight nod.

  Within twenty minutes everyone was gathered in the dining room. I led them into the library, where puzzled faces gazed at me.

  “Helen, shut the door,” Andre snapped. She shut it, rolling her eyes at him.

  “Everyone, please have a seat,” he said. Everyone took seats, bunched together in the little room. “As some of you know, there is a mole in Undir Trenu. Going forward, no one can be told anything to do with the Verndarar outside the people in this room. If there are city hall staff around, keep your mouth shut. Don’t tell friends about what you’re doing or where you’re going. Do you understand?”

  He stared at the blank, tired faces, expecting a reply, but only got two half-hearted mumbles.

  “Do any of you understand how important this is? The Kugarar not only know about your presence, but they knew you were in Kent in 1059. Elijah kept from you the truth surrounding his mission.”

  “What do you mean kept the truth from us?” Deon asked. He was the only one who looked awake.

  “Elijah…” He allowed me to take his place.

  “The truth is … Dakota had a map. A map written in an ancient language that only ancient vampires could read. So we went back and found where it led. We found a part of the Creaturae, and found out it has been split into three.”

  “So you have got a part of the Creaturae?” Luciana asked.

  “Yes, and we need to find the other parts before the Kugarar do,” Andre said.

  “But if we have one piece,” I asked, “doesn’t that mean they can’t use it?”

  “If they find the other pieces, then the Creaturae will want to be reunited with the last piece, leading them here to Undir Trenu. We can’t risk that,” Andre said.

  “I have to leave tonight,” Andre said, turning to me. “This was a quick visit. You need to step up and take control here.”

  What the hell did he think I’d been doing?

  “Everyone, get some rest. We will reconvene tomorrow,” I said, dismissing them.

  I waited for them to disperse and turned to Andre, who was speaking with Helen. “I need answers about Mary and who is in charge of this place.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I wasn’t going to let him leave without telling me the truth.

  Andre turned and looked at me. Helen glanced between the two of us nervously. I wondered if she knew.

  “I guess you should know.” He exhaled and walked back towards his desk. “Take a seat.” He nodded his head to the seat opposite his desk.

  I glanced at Helen who was lingering a little way away. “You too, Helen.” She took the seat next to me and looked down at her lap. “The truth is that there are a group of people… Or Angels, I should say.”

  My brow furrowed. “Angels?”

  “Yes, they’re the ones who created this place. It became evident that the Kugarar had become a threat to humanity, and they decided to step in.”

  I shook my head. “Are you serious?”

  Andre allowed his glasses to slip to the end of his nose and peered through them at me. “They have a lot more to do with the world
we live in than you’ll ever know, and I can’t tell you anymore. You will have to trust me.”

  I glanced at Helen who seemed unfazed by the claims. “Did you know about this?” I asked.

  She looked up for the first time from her lap and our eyes met. “Yes, I knew the angels had built Undir Trenu.”

  How did I not know that angels existed?

  It was a wild claim to say the least.

  “Do you have any more questions?” Andre shuffled in his office chair.

  “Are you an angel?” I asked.

  He glanced down at his desk before answering. “Yes, I’m an angel.” I honestly had never considered an angel as a possibility. All this time searching for answers.

  “What did you mean when you said this was Mary’s destiny?” I pointed at him. “Give me a straight answer. Did you know she would die?”

  Andre gulped. “I didn’t know she would die, but I knew it was possible.”

  I clenched the chair hard. I honestly wanted to knock the man out. How could he send Mary into the field knowing she could die?

  I couldn’t stand his bullshit anymore. “I’m going to the library to do some research.” I jumped to my feet and headed out of the door not waiting for reply. I headed for the library. With the sole intention of seeing if I could find any books related to Undir Trenu or the angels.

  I spent hours studying, but I couldn’t find anything about the place. I found lots of literature on the Cureliva and Creaturae, and took note of them. I glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. It was eight o’clock in the morning.

  I was surprised to see Helen still up, hunched over something at her desk. I approached her and realized she was napping.

  “Helen,” I said, and gave her a light nudge.

  She bolted upright. “Oh, Elijah … sorry. Andre had me up all night and I must have—”

  “Don’t apologize. That man is mad.”

  She rubbed her neck. “I best go to bed,” she said, standing.

  “Me too, I lost track of time.” I glanced around. “Has Andre left?”

  She gazed at me with a look of uncertainty. “Yes… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about him and the angels.”

  I gaze her a sideways glance. I still wasn’t sure I believed the so called ‘truth’. “It’s hard for me to believe. I’ve been searching the library for any history on this place or angels, and I’ve come up short on both.

  Helen frowned. “Don’t you believe Andre?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure what to believe.” A uncomfortable silence fell between us.

  “I’ll see you later. I need to catch up on some sleep,” I said, heading towards the stairs. She didn’t say anything, but I could feel her eyes follow me as I disappeared out of view. There was something not sitting right with me about the whole story. But, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

  30

  A weight was lifted from my shoulders that the truth was out to the Verndarar. It had been hard to lie to them. In a way, I was still lying to them until I told them I was a witch. But, I decided that could wait for another day.

  But, the truth as to who exactly was behind the Verndarar had only confused me. Surely Angels can’t exist? I hadn’t found any literature on them in the library, except for in myths and religious texts.

  In a way, I shouldn’t be surprised if they did exist. Witches, werewolves and vampires exist, so why wouldn’t angels? But, I’d never seen any evidence of their existence, or heard rumor of it either. It also made no sense.

  Were they angels in the traditional sense? Governed by a god? If so did they create the vampires? All these questions flooded my mind and confused me further.

  Mary’s death bugged me the most. Andre’s words wouldn’t leave my mind. It was her destiny. He had been throwing that notion around ever since I met him. Was it my destiny to lose my wife? There was something unnerving about Undir Trenu and the people behind it.

  I’d only slept for a few hours. It was eleven o’clock by the time I headed back into the library. I needed answers. Andre’s little office had again disappeared from view. But, I wondered if I used my magic whether I could uncloak it. I didn’t know much about Andre or how strong his magic was, but it was worth a try.

  I thumbed my father’s ring. Ever since Mary’s death I had vowed to keep it on me at all times. There was no way I was risking losing another member because we were ill equipped. Andre had assured me that we would come up against other humans, not powerful witches.

  With a deep exhale, I approached the wall. I was going to attempt to uncover Andre’s library. There was no doubt in my mind that answers to my questions would be in that office.

  I stood where the door to the office had been yesterday. There were a number of possible spells to my knowledge that could be used to conceal a room. I slipped my father’s ring on my finger.

  “Ostende,” I muttered. Nothing happened. The wall remained a blank canvas. I tried the next spell I knew. “Revelare.” Still nothing. Last chance was the most uncommon spell. “Revelabis,” I chanted. My heart thudding hard in my ears. Slowly the door came into view.

  Thank god!

  I took a deep breath and glanced around to ensure no one was watching. My hand rested on the door knob. My stomach was churning. What was I going to find in here? There was only one way to find out. I turned the doorknob and pushed the heavy oak door.

  The room looked unchanged from the evening before. There were papers neatly stacked on the desk, and books everywhere. I walked towards the desk slowly. Doubt as to whether I wanted to dig further into what or who was behind this place consumed me. What would I do if what I found out was bad? But, I knew if I left it that it would bug me.

  There were a couple of books on the desk. One title was that odd named town Andre had told me about. Vatnabyggð. I flipped it over and attempted to read the blurb. It was in a language I couldn’t read. If only the magic here extended to reading as well as speaking.

  Something to the left of me caught my eye. A photo in a frame on a sideboard. Andre was standing in the middle of two people. A man and a woman. Each of them had bright blonde hair and luminous blue eyes. They looked like twins or something. I recognized where they stood, on the edge of the opaque lake here in Undir Trenu.

  There were no other pictures in the room. Other than a couple of unexciting painting on the walls. I returned to the desk and shifted through the neatly stacked pile.

  There’s got to be something here. Something caught my attention, a letter from Cassiel, whoever he was and it was dated from over a year ago. I scanned through the letter quickly. It was four pages long.

  The last paragraph caught my attention.

  Andre. I am relying on you to ensure that we get our hands on the creaturae before Lucifer. I don’t need to remind you what happens if he manages to find it before us.

  Lucifer as in the devil?

  My stomach sank as I stared at the page. If Angels exist then why wouldn’t the devil exist too. Could Lucifer be the driving force behind the Kugarar? And if so why isn’t Andre being open about this? It seemed my breaking into Andre’s office had only confused me more. Instead of finding answers, I had found more questions.

  I tidied the papers back into their original positions making certain I left no trace of my being there. With one last glance around the room I headed out.

  My heart leapt into my throat to find Helen there at the door. Her arms folded over her chest and eyes narrowed. “What were you doing in there?” she asked.

  I glanced down at my feet my arms dropping to my side. “I-I needed answers,” I said.

  Helen placed a hand on my arm forcing me to look at her. “Elijah, you need to trust Andre. I know it can be difficult but he honestly has the best interests of humanity at heart.” I couldn’t help it that I doubted him.

  I looked into her eyes intently. “Do you know about Lucifer?” I asked.

  A flash of fear appeared in her blue eyes.
It was clear Helen knew a lot more than Andre was telling me. “Yes…” she didn’t expand on her answer.

  “Who is he?” I asked.

  She let out a deep sigh. “Andre should’ve told you… Lucifer is the devil. He is backing the Kugarar because if humans are destroyed it gives him the freedom to leave hell. Once there are no humans to condemn to hell he will break out.”

  “Why wouldn’t Andre just tell me?” I asked.

  She shuffled her weight from one foot to another. “It’s complicated. He just felt it was easier if you didn’t know.”

  It didn’t make any sense to me. What’s so complicated about it that he would keep it from me. I exhaled and turned to hide Andre’s office door. “Celaverimus,” I chanted, and the door was hidden.

  “Are you ever going to tell the rest of the team?” she asked.

  “Tell them what?”

  Her eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “That you’re a witch!”

  I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t know… Witches live my a code. The most unbreakable rule is to never tell humans. Not only that, but, I can’t see they’ll respect me the same if they know the truth. You should have seen it when Tom found out Jamie was a werewolf. It scared him. I just feel it’s easier to keep it to myself.”

  Helen rubbed her temples, a look of disappointment in her eyes. “I hate having to keep it from Deon.”

  “I’m sorry… I will tell them when I’m ready.”

  She gave me a slight nod. “Oh! I almost forgot. Tom sent this over about an hour ago for you.” She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to me. “It looks like he has found a recruit.” My heart thudded hard against my rib cage. I glanced down at the message, which was brief:

  Elijah, I’ve found our last recruit. I’ll meet you this tomorrow in the forest. Tom.

  Butterflies filled my stomach with anticipation. Who would Tom have chosen? I hoped to god it was any of them other than Isabelle Benedict. That would be the last thing I needed. I couldn’t believe It would only be a matter of hours until I would find out.

  “Also, Andre told me to give you this before he left.” She passed me a large paper package.