“Jesus,” Rhett said, forgetting himself. He could hear the voice well enough to know it was Evelyn's.
“I can't get a bead on distance, but I don't think they're right on the other side of the pile,” Dracht said, tossing a rock behind him with a grunt.
It took two of them to move several more. Suddenly the pile shifted and three bigger chunks rolled down, nearly clipping Rhett in the ankle.
He hopped out of the way just in time.
“Don't know. If we keep moving these right here, we can break through and crawl to the other side,” Rhett said.
“Let's go, let's go,” Dracht urged, sweat dripping down his brow.
A tiny air hole emerged after another four rocks.
A scream pierced the air, full of terror. It traveled down the tunnel and cut through the hole they'd made, causing a shiver to race down Rhett's spine.
Hold on, Evelyn. Hold on for God's sake.
†
Alexandra shouted, twisting her body in the air. She barely managed to grab hold of the base of the pedestal, arms wrapping tight, collarbone impacting with a sharp stab of pain. The rest of her body collided with it while her legs swung precariously into nothingness.
Vicious and deep, three other growls joined the first. She saw a pair of glowing eyes peer up from the pitch black beneath her and she reached a hand up to snag the paper and the Seal, breathing shallowly, skin erupting in goosebumps.
All she hoped was that she didn't grab the burning material.
“Run, Evelyn. RUN!”
“I'm not leaving! It's coming, it's coming!” she shouted.
“I know!” Alex put the edge of the paper in her teeth, the Seal stuck into it and secure for now. Wrapping her legs around the base of the pedestal, she slapped a hand across the carved surface, flinging the fiery piece of cloth over the edge.
It fluttered down like a sparrow on fire, pitching this way and that. She didn't watch it go; slinging a leg up, she climbed atop the pedestal and was relieved to see Evelyn turn with the candle to start running.
She needed to be out of the way so Alex could vault back across the pit, positive at any time that a muzzle would flash up out of the gloom and drag her into the abyss. In periphery she could see the glow of their eyes coming up as if from a long distance, bounding up from the bottom of a well to claim their prize.
Well screw that. She wasn't going to become any hellhound's breakfast.
With no running start, she jumped. Another angry sounding snarl resonated somewhere beneath her.
Landing on her feet, she lurched forward, grabbed the paper out of her mouth, and took off after Evelyn. The candlelight barely cut through the darkness and she cursed it soundly, silently, arms pumping and boots slapping the ground.
Behind her, she heard the unmistakable sound of claws scrabbling for purchase on stone and another, louder growl.
Five steps later, Alexandra had that sensation along the back of her neck, the one that screamed warning!, before something crashed into her from behind and took her down.
†
Evelyn could hear them coming. The rustle of their fur, the savage growls, their claws on the rock. Running. Faster than she and Alex were running, no doubt about it. Half afraid she'd collide into a wall, she kept a hand out along with the candle, using small, quick steps rather than long, loping strides.
Alexandra's cry turned into a scream—and when her sister wanted to scream, the girl could really scream—before snarling and a thud cut it off.
It didn't take a genius to realize that the beast had taken Alex down.
Evelyn whirled, the dagger and candle in her hands. She ran back, pitching a high scream at the glowing eyed, larger-than-a-wolf creature who had its teeth sunk into Alexandra's back. It looked up and snarled again, ears flattening against its head.
“Get off her, get off!” An unusual fury gripped her; she swung the holy blade straight across and came back the other way with the candle, the flame miraculously staying lit. The creature snapped its razor sharp teeth and lunged between passes of the knife and the candle. Evelyn didn't land a strike but it drove the wolf back until it straddled Alexandra's legs instead of her hips.
Flipping over, Alexandra wielded her own blade, stabbing it up under the creatures neck. A high cry ripped from its throat and it wobbled even as it retreated, staggering and shaking its massive head. Alex slashed at it again, driving it further away, until the hellhound whipped around to run the other direction. The rest of the pack, wary of the altercation—and perhaps the holy blades—retreated into the abyss, their growls and snarls filling the air. One by one the glowing pairs of eyes faded into blackness.
In a strange way, it made sense to Evelyn. Just like the blades caused more damage to the Fallen, it seemed likely it would do the same to the wolves. Out of breath, adrenaline raging through her veins, Evelyn glanced down to her sister.
Alexandra scrambled up off the ground.
“That was close,” Alex said, looking back at the pit. “They don't like the blades so much. Let's go.”
“Are you hurt? Let me see your back--”
“The shirt, Ev. It got a mouthful of the shirt instead of my skin.” Alex pushed Evelyn along the dark tunnel, stowing the Seal in her belt.
The shirt. Evelyn kept the dagger in hand and started back the way they came. The candle flame shivered from the tremors of her fingers. “How long do you think we have before they try again?”
“A few minutes, no more. Go, hurry.”
Evelyn risked a faster pace, kicking into a jog.
Behind them, one of the creatures snarled; the sound traveled through the tunnel, menacing and promising.
Then, around another turn, after a brief sprint, she came to an abrupt halt. The shadowy lump in front of her feet, outlined by the candleglow, startled her. She thought one of the beasts had somehow sank up through the stone and meant to cut them off. When it didn't move, she realized it was a rock. A big rock.
One that hadn't been there before.
Alex thumped into her back, pushing her forward, and that was when Evelyn saw the cave in.
A moment later, Rhett's voice burst through a small opening near the wall. “Evelyn!”
“Rhett! We're here.” Relief rushed in to replace unease and lingering terror.
“Stand back so the rocks don't hit you.”
Even as he said it, another watermelon sized rock tumbled down, forcing her and Alex to sink against the wall. She could hear him working to make a space big enough to crawl through on the other side.
“Hurry up!” Alex shouted. “We got those damn beasts on our tail.”
“Five minutes.” It wasn't Rhett's voice that echoed through that time, but Dracht's.
†
“They're comin'.” Alexandra's voice lifted up the ominous warning.
Evelyn looked back through the tunnel. A pair of glowing eyes blinked into existence in the gloom. Wary, the beast didn't rush or charge them like the other one had.
A small pile of rubble littered the ground in front of them, pieces that rolled off as Rhett and Dracht worked. Several more tumbled down and suddenly there was a hole that Rhett poked his upper body through.
“Come on. There's no time. If another quake hits the rest of this will come down.” He made an impatient gesture with his fingers.
Evelyn could barely see him in the gloom. She sheathed the dagger and went over to climb up a few rocks until she could put her hand in his.
Behind her, she heard Alexandra slide her dagger free.
“Take the candle.” She pushed it at Rhett who handed it off behind him.
Darkness filled in the spaces where the light had been, making it difficult to see anything at all. Rhett pulled her through, gently, cupping the top of her head with a hand to protect it.
On their side, the flashlights blinded her. She squinted against the searing beam while Rhett guided her to the right. He snared her into a one armed hug and pressed a hard, relieved kiss
against the top of her head.
Dracht reached through for Alex. “Give me your hand.”
“I can get through there--”
“Just give me your hand. It's getting closer.” Dracht's tone was both urgent and impatient, like Rhett's had been.
Dracht tugged Alex through, drawing her up against his chest until she gained her feet.
Evelyn saw the look they gave each other, a lingering stare though no words passed between them.
“Let's pack a few rocks up there and get out of here,” Rhett said, squeezing her before hauling a few heavy stones to block the hole they'd made.
Dracht stepped away from Alex and helped him. They only needed four or five to make it hard for the creatures to get through. Unless the animals could pass through solid material.
Rhett snatched his light off the ground, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into a run just as the snarls and growls grew on the other side.
Time to go.
†
They encountered no more creatures and no more earthquakes on their way up out of the castle. Evidence of mild destruction littered the stone floors they ran over; tipped bookcases, fallen paintings, shattered glass.
Outside, the storm had come to a standstill. No rain fell, no thunder rolled through the sky. The atmosphere was still bleak and black, with no sign of daylight in sight. Where the bodies of the Fallen and Servants fell, now they were gone. No clues about their final demise were left in the wake of their absence.
Khyamaeus, Dragar, Christian and Minna, all healed, blood gone from their faces and skin thanks to the rain, met them in the middle of the bailey to cement their plans. Weapons and shields gathered, they left the bailey, a band of warriors with one extra body more than they'd arrived with. Exhaustion painted itself on Minna, Alex and Evelyn's features, the only three not offered the healing skills of the Fallen.
Back at the plane, they boarded single file and sank into the seats with clunks and clanks of metal or leather.
Roman taxied off the runway and swept them up into the eerie, quiet sky, the drone of the engines luring the three surviving daughters of Eve down into dreams.
Chapter Eleven
Rhett sat across from Khyamaeus with Evelyn to his right. She'd been asleep for two hours, chair tilted back a few inches to make her more comfortable. The Fallen seemed comfortable in a plane, a surprise to Rhett, and he decided to speak up and ask.
“Have you ever flown before?”
Khyamaeus opened his eyes and for a brief moment, amusement lurked there. “I have not.”
“It doesn't seem to bother you,” he pointed out.
“I find it noisy and awkward, but suitable to transport many humans at once over long distances until something better comes along.”
Rhett arched a brow. “Something better?”
“Let us just say...this method of transport is like horse and buggy compared to a Ferrari. It gets the job done, but not nearly as efficiently as it could, nor as fast. Should time continue, design and function will improve in ways you never imagined.”
“How is it you know this?” Rhett asked, bemused. Guessing was one thing, and history taught them that mankind always found ways to advance. That was a given.
But something in Khyamaeus' tone suggested more than that.
“Because it already exists elsewhere. Humans on earth have been slower to develop than others of their kind. But you are on the right track at least.”
“Where, and how far away?” His curiosity piqued, Rhett crossed one boot over the other and stared across at the Fallen.
“I cannot divulge that information. Perhaps in your lifetime, you will learn the answers you seek.”
“Why is it such a big mystery?” Rhett asked.
“Humans and their distant brethren are not ready to meet. I could give you all the information you need, but it's pointless until people here make greater strides. The fissures in society that prevent it from functioning as it should must be fixed before any serious advancement can be made.”
“I'd hardly say it's pointless. My curiosity would be sated.” Rhett cut the Fallen a wry grin. He didn't expect Khyamaeus to give him any more information than he had.
“That it would. Mankind has to learn it, instead of having it handed over. That is part of evolution.” Khyamaeus glanced at Evelyn. His gaze lingered.
“Do you remember her?” he asked. Rhett wasn't sure if all the Guardians had come into contact with the girls before their Fall.
“I do. She was too young to remember. How is it you came to know her?” Khyamaeus looked back at Rhett.
“We're Templars. A group within our group knew about their existence and had been hunting them for a very long time. They existed with the belief the girls were spreading evil throughout the world though, and killed quite a few of them before I caught up with Evelyn.”
“Templars? I knew the Order still functioned. What irony that you are battling with them to preserve your way of life.”
“Someone keeps throwing the word destiny around.” Rhett lifted his arms, folding his hands behind his head.
Khyamaeus inclined his chin in agreement. “I have no doubt.”
“I'm sure it's one of those odd coincidences. Right place, right time.” Rhett still didn't know if he bought into the whole fate and destiny idea.
“You don't believe in fate?” Khyamaeus asked.
“I find it difficult to. Do you?”
“It's an absolute fact.”
“You speak like you have personal experience. Do you already know what the outcome of all this is?” Rhett suddenly thought Khyamaeus knew more than he was admitting.
“The greatest events in history, as you understand them, did not happen 'just because'. Everything leads somewhere, Rhett. There is a purpose, as exalted or cruel as it may seem, for every war, every advance in science, every step in the ladder of evolution. Humans are still crawling. One day, perhaps, you'll fly.”
“You didn't answer my question.”
“Yes and no. I knew there would be a tribulation, but not when. Nor did I know whether it would lead into a full blown apocalypse or not. That's because fate and destiny can be altered, and everything we do from here will decide the ultimate ending. This is the wildcard that makes it impossible to speak in certainties. Someday, there will be Revelation. Is that in three days? You tell me.”
“If you know there are events, then it stands to reason you know if anything happens after this, which gives us a clue whether or not we succeed or fail,” Rhett reasoned.
Khyamaeus held up a finger. “You are correct that I know of major events, but as I stated, I do not always know when. The only absolutes I can determine are individual death. There is no escaping that. When your number is up, as they say, it's up.”
Rhett became uncomfortable at this recent bit of news. He stared at Khyamaeus, wanting to ask the obvious question.
Khyamaeus lowered his hand and maintained eye contact. Like he knew.
“How can you determine that?” Rhett asked against his better judgment. Internal warning bells went off, but he ignored them.
“It is difficult to explain. It's more than a sense, more than a feeling. You're not marked, per se, and yet I can look at a person and know whether they are long for this world or not.”
Rhett wondered how many other people would be tempted to ask the next question that burned on his tongue. It was both appealing and not to know whether his own time was at hand. Maybe Khyamaeus wouldn't tell him. Did he really want to know, anyway? Rhett hadn't ever looked too far ahead in his own life, not with the demands of his job and the risks he often took.
“So you knew ahead of time that those Fallen and the Servants at the castle would go down.” He skirted the issue in the end.
“I knew when I got there. Just like I knew two of the people in your group would perish before the next three days is through.”
†
In the tiny bathroom, Rhett splashed water on his face. L
ight glared down from a single inset lamp overhead, illuminating the compact space that boasted a small shower stall, toilet and sink. The mirror lodged above it bounced his reflection back and Rhett stared at himself, fairly sure he'd never seen that haunted look in his eyes before.
Gritty, heavily whiskered, hair hanging in damp, sandy blonde ropes, he looked tired suddenly, like he'd just come down off a fresh adrenaline high. The raw scrapes on his face were minor scabs now after Khyamaeus' healing. He might wind up with a lingering, pale scar or two when it was all said and done. Water dripped off his jaw into the small, shell shaped basin. Bracing a hand against the edge, he let his arm bear the brunt of his weight.
He hadn't been able to ask who in their group—not one, but two—wouldn't make it to the end of this mission. Intimately close to four of them, he wouldn't want to see the other two die either. Alexandra and Minna had become close to his heart over the time that he'd known them.
That it could be one of his brothers, his father, or Evelyn made his blood run cold. Oddly, he didn't factor himself into the equation because he never did, no matter how dangerous the job or situation. If he died it was all moot anyway. Thank God Evelyn had slept straight through the awkward revelation and the ensuing ten minute stare down he and Khyamaeus shared before he excused himself to the bathroom.
Rhett wouldn't share the information with anyone else. It was the kind of knowledge that could freeze people up at the wrong time, make them decide on a course of action they might not normally take.
No matter that Khyamaeus stated the deaths were irreversible, Rhett held onto the hope that because he knew, he might be able to prevent it from happening. Forewarned was forearmed.
With any luck, fate would see fit to leave those he cared about alive.
†
“What do you think they're talkin' about over there?” Alex whispered to Dracht. He sat next to her instead of across from her, and she had to stare past his profile to see Rhett, Khyamaeus and Evelyn.
“You're supposed to be sleeping,” Dracht said, slanting her a look out of the corner of his eyes.
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