The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Alesha Escobar

  “So you want me to tell you what to do, huh? Don’t you think that’s your problem? You’ve lived most of your life doing what others tell you.”

  “Please, forgive me.”

  “I would be lying if I said I did, so don’t ask right now.” I may not have hated him, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t infuriated with him. He was the only person from the Gray Tower I still talked to, and I believed I could trust. If he ever wanted to restore that he would have to show me that our friendship was more important than blindly serving the Order.

  “Is there anything I can do?” he asked.

  I looked into his sad gray eyes and wanted to cry. “Choose a side and stick with it, Brande Drahomir...before I kill you.”

  16

  The next morning I got out of bed and noticed another Circle of Protection had been cast around me. I gritted my teeth and imagined what Brande would do next to earn my forgiveness. Though I wouldn’t admit it, in a way I could understand his struggle between doing what he believed was right and what he felt obligated to do for the sake of a higher purpose. After my very first mission in Belgium, Ian had sent me on an assignment to help the Maquis intercept an important train delivery headed into Orleans.

  The Nazis had planned to send newly developed weapons from one of their factories for distribution to their allies in the southern region of France. We were ordered to disrupt the delivery at all costs and, steal what we could, and destroy or hide the surplus. We had obtained train schedules, maps, everything we thought we would need to get the job done.

  The local Maquis group leader had decided that we would blow the train tracks along a particular point in the route, forcing the train to derail. The derailment would stop train travel along that route and other Maquisards would be left behind to alert contacts at the nearest train stations. All of this was done so that unsuspecting travelers in other trains wouldn’t stumble upon the derailment scene.

  Everything had been going according to plan, except for one fact that eluded us: the Nazis had switched schedules and trains at the last minute, had loaded the weapons into the storage areas of a passenger train, and sent it along our route. When we saw a train headed our way—two hours earlier than expected—we panicked and thought the Nazis would surely beat us to the drop off point. We had already placed our explosives and anxiously prepared ourselves for the explosion. However, one of our scouts had realized the train wasn’t a freight train after all. He had gotten a closer look and spotted civilian passengers on board. He radioed us a warning, but this left us with only minutes to decide which course to take.

  Would we help the Allies and deprive the Nazis of new weapons, thus saving countless lives in the process, and putting us one step closer to winning the war? Or would we abandon the mission—and contradict our direct orders—for the sake of the lives on that train that were never supposed to be there? I felt torn between both decisions, and either way, someone would die. But like Father Alexis said, how could you choose who deserved to live and who didn’t?

  I wasn’t in charge of the mission and was only there to aid the Maquis leader. I tried to convince him we could find another way to stop the train and take those weapons. He assumed I was just trying to encroach on his authority since I was an SOE agent and not a Maquisard, and I felt he also put less value in something a woman had to say, especially a woman who was new to all of this. He shouted me down and ordered me to act as lookout, just in case the train was being followed or escorted by Nazis, and he didn’t allow me anywhere near the tracks. The closer the train came, the sicker I grew.

  I tried reasoning with myself that the greater good would be served, and that more lives would be saved in the end. However, when that train derailed and I stood there, watching cabins crash, glass fly, and maimed bodies roll across the ground—well, let’s just say when I returned to London, I didn’t even bother going to Baker Street. I headed straight home and refused to come out for five days. Jane Lewis had to break into my flat and force me to eat and bathe.

  I had a choice between what I was ordered to do and what I believed was right. If given another chance, I would’ve told the Maquis leader to go to hell, that I was going to disarm the explosives on the tracks, and if he didn’t like it, he could blow me up too. I wish I would’ve done that, even though those weapons would have likely gone into Nazi hands. Instead, I suppressed my opinions and meekly followed orders.

  I understood that conflict as well as anyone else, and so a part of me empathized with Brande. Still, I felt he should’ve used his own judgment and had the courage to choose what he knew in his heart was right. I had failed before, and the sadness and remorse in his eyes last night reminded me of how I felt after the Orleans mission. However, the difference was that I would never be able to ask for forgiveness. They’re all dead.

  I dressed and went downstairs for coffee, and was glad that I didn’t run into Brande. A few other patrons sat in the dining area enjoying breakfast and listening to a radio broadcast. I didn’t feel like hearing a false account of how the war was going, so I slipped into one of the corners and had Claire bring my drink.

  “Would you like something with your coffee, Noelle?”

  “No thank you, I’m not very hungry.”

  “Maybe just a small bowl of fruit, then?”

  “Fine.”

  I sipped my coffee and picked up a newspaper left on the table by a previous guest. The title on the front page exclaimed in large letters: “Germany is on the Move.” The article, of course, praised the efforts of Operation Barbarossa, the German Army’s ongoing battle with the Soviet Union, and touted the mass execution of Soviet civilians as just punishment. It also saved a scathing last paragraph for the United States, condemning it for freezing German and Italian assets in America. I believed Ken had been right, that it was only a matter of time before America officially joined the war. There were now confirmed reports trickling in about the U.S. Navy engaging in sporadic battles with Japanese forces in the Pacific.

  “Here’s your fruit.” Claire smiled, placing my bowl in front of me.

  “Thank you.”

  “Also, there’s a phone call for you at the front desk.”

  “From whom?”

  “He wouldn’t say, but he asked for you.”

  I excused myself and headed toward the front desk. An elderly man sat there, engaged in record keeping and greeting new guests. He spoke with a couple of men, but when he saw me approach, he gestured for me to come behind the desk and pick up the phone. A thousand possibilities raced through my mind as to who it could be, and when I answered, I regretted that I had come downstairs at all.

  “Noelle, my sweet, I did as you asked. The markings in the cave are discreet Roman numerals. Just follow them in numerical order to reach the lab.”

  “Thank you, Simon. I don’t recall asking you to phone me. Remember? I said not to speak to anyone until after tonight?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t think that would include you. Besides, you promised to wait for me, but when I returned you were gone. I went home, and all I could think about was you, and all I dreamed about was you. Will you come to my house?”

  “No, I won’t.”

  “Then I’ll come to you.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” I hissed into the receiver.

  “You’re going to break into the lab, aren’t you?”

  “I...”

  “You could have asked me, since I’m in charge of the laboratory. Tell me what you want from there...and I’ll bring it to you.”

  “I don’t think so.” This was so frustrating that it was driving me insane. All I wanted from him was key information about the lab, and how to reach it, but it felt like every act of cooperation had a consequence of its own.

  “Tell me you love me,” he panted.

  I turned toward the wall and whispered, “Have you considered that maybe you’re not yourself today and that you ought to go lie down?”

  “I know how I feel, and I’m more alive t
han ever. This is the passion I’ve been waiting for. This is true love.”

  “You attacked me. I don’t think that’s true love.”

  “Then let me make amends. Will you join me for dinner?”

  “Eh...midnight?”

  “Why so late, darling?”

  “Why not?” At least we’d be out of the lab and the hell out of the city by then.

  “Very well...midnight. I live in the large estate a few blocks east of Rue de Vesle.”

  “Great, and remember, don’t leave your house. Wait patiently until I arrive.”

  “Of course.” I hung up the phone and moaned. I promised myself that I would never use red garnet again.

  Basking in the sun at a nearby park helped cheer me up a little and clear my mind. I sat in the grass near a small fountain, watching a few children fish out coins. When I noticed that one of the boys carried a wrapped sandwich like those at the grocer’s store, I offered him a franc for it and took it off his hands. I opened it and polished it off, disappointed that it was only a cheese sandwich and wishing I had eaten the fruit I ordered earlier.

  I felt a tingling sensation at the sound of a mandolin playing, but it was so faint that I wasn’t sure if it was all in my mind. I asked the boys if they heard anything, but they insisted that I was crazy. They gave up on me and ran away, just as the sound of the melody increased. I listened to the music for a while before following the sound to a copse with looming trees and swaying branches. It was serene and secluded, a perfect place for lovers to frolic, I wistfully thought.

  As I approached, I saw the same gypsy who had been on the street corner the other evening. His hood shaded his eyes and gray hairs streaked his dark beard. He played the song through to the end and, for some reason, it mesmerized me. I settled in the cool grass next to him.

  “Good morning, miss.”

  “Good morning.”

  “I remember you. I still have the franc you gave me.”

  “Yes...please, keep it.”

  “You’re not from here.” He put the mandolin aside.

  “My name is Noelle...”

  “No it’s not.”

  I felt that tingling sensation. It ran straight from my shoulders, down my back, and through my legs. My thoughts became murky, and when it became more difficult for me to concentrate, I realized that he had enchanted me with the song.

  “Who are you?” I slid my hand down my side so I could reach my knife, wondering why he didn’t try to take over my mind with the enchantment. In any case, it would be his last mistake.

  “Isabella...do you remember me?”

  “No.” I shook my head and gripped my knife. It would be too risky to lay a symbol while under an enchantment. I’d have to do it the old-fashioned way and stab him.

  “Did you receive my note?”

  I gasped and loosened my hold on my knife. “Which note?”

  “Do you remember me?”

  “Dad...is it you?” My hand shook as I reached for the hood, but he gently held my hand at bay.

  “Whoever sees your memories could also see my face. Very few know me by sight.”

  Although part of me couldn’t believe it, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel, all I knew was that I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck in an embrace, and didn’t bother to wipe away the tears that fell. After all these years, I had finally found him again! I was scared this was just another one of my dreams, that I would wake up and find him gone. But the longer we held onto each other, my fear subsided.

  “Dad? Can you lift the enchantment now? I promise I won’t be hysterical.” I wiped my cheeks.

  “The enchantment wasn’t for tranquility, but for your memory.” He took both my hands and held them in his. “What do you remember about me?”

  “I always have a dream about you. I dream about the tool shed, and fire all around me. You’d come and save me, but then you’d disappear. Sometimes you would reappear and then vanish again.”

  “Those aren’t dreams, those are memories.”

  I felt ill. “Was there something else I was supposed to remember?”

  “Not now, it’s too dangerous.”

  “I want to help you.”

  “Find Veit Heilwig.”

  “What does he have to do with this?” I shuddered when I felt the presence of a strong wizard approaching.

  “It seems even as we speak, I’m being tracked.” He let go of my hands and stood.

  “Before you go, can I ask you something?”

  “Yes, quickly.”

  “Why didn’t you come home? We waited for you, and you never came.” For all I knew, I could’ve asked him for the secret to the universe, but this wasn’t Isabella the Alchemist asking, this was a daughter asking her father.

  “I’m a marked man, and I’ll always be hunted. I would never put my family through that. I sacrificed my presence for your safety.”

  “I thought you were dead.”

  “And I felt like I was, being away from you, Johnnie, and your mother. But it was the only way.”

  He started to leave, but I called out to him. “How will finding Dr. Heilwig help you? I need to know.”

  “First, he knows the truth about me. Second, he will help you understand more. Above all, he’s my friend, and we need him.”

  “When will I see you again?” I had so many other questions and so many things I wanted to say, and all of them were fighting to be heard. Even though it was likely out of the question, I wanted to at least try to convince him to come home, even for a little while.

  “I’ll come for you before the end of this year. You need to complete your training.”

  “Training?”

  “You left the Gray Tower too soon, but we can remedy that.”

  I knew he wanted to help, and I had toyed with the same idea, but seeing him changed everything, knowing who he was changed everything. “I can’t go back to those people. Not when they’re hunting you like a criminal.”

  “Either way, you will train. If you want, you can be with me, Veit, and...”

  “I miss you.” For such a great Philosopher, I swore he just couldn’t catch on. Come on, Dad, all I wanted to hear at this moment was that you missed me like hell, and nothing would ever stand in between you and your family again.

  He leaned down to kiss me on the forehead. “One of my trackers is near, and he’s headed straight toward us. I must go now—he’ll follow my trail. Veit knows he is to remain by your side and tell you everything.”

  He disappeared in a flash, leaving me alone in the copse. I felt empty and sad, the way I did when I was a child and had found out that he would not be returning home. I hoped that I truly would see him by the end of the year, and I would make sure that I’d find a way to be at home with Johnnie and mother so that they could see him too.

  I stood and walked back toward the fountain, reclaiming my spot on the grass. I felt sorry for my father, because he had to constantly fight and run. The trackers were probably already on his trail again. As I thought about our meeting and replayed everything in my mind, I suddenly recoiled when someone’s hand touched my shoulder.

  “What is ailing you on this beautiful day, young lady?”

  “I’m fine, thank you.” I turned and gazed into the eyes of an elderly man. He looked like one of the businessmen who frequented the park during the day, with his dark gray suit and silver hair peeking from beneath his hat. His clean-shaven face carried a benevolent expression as he looked down at me. However, my senses went off, and I could feel there was something different about him.

  “Whom were you just speaking to?” He kept his hand on my shoulder.

  “No one...” I shuddered and tried guarding my mind against his mental invasion. My head ached, and my mind burned as he pried into my memories to look for his answer. I quickly constructed mental blocks. I even concentrated on mundane things like what I had to eat earlier, but he quickly tore through them and opened my mind further. When I continued resisting, he t
hen switched over to body magic in an attempt to bend my will, so that my mouth would speak the words he wanted to hear.

  Like I said, it was difficult to perform body magic on a wizard who had been trained in it. I reversed the flow of the spell and sent a wave of energy up his arm, straight toward his heart. He clenched his teeth and reached for his chest, and I fed more energy into the attack, hoping that he wouldn’t break the flow and launch an even stronger offense. If I wasn’t already sitting in the grass, I would’ve sunk to my knees from the force of the magic going back and forth between us. His hands began to shake and he finally released me, starting to back off.

  “You’re stronger than I thought, Isabella.” He let out a heavy breath, but quickly regained his composure.

  “Who are you?”

  “Leto Priya, of the Gray Tower.”

  I went cold. “Leave me alone.”

  “That is no way to speak to a Master Wizard, Apprentice.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Who’s the gypsy?” When I said nothing, he continued. “I’m giving you an opportunity to tell me. If I have to, I’ll rip your mind apart and lay it bare to find out.”

  “Get away from her.” Brande came to my side and helped me to my feet. As he stood next to me, Leto gazed at us with a stoic expression.

  “Brande, how good it is to see you. I didn’t think you’d be here.”

  “I’m here...and I’m with her.” He glared at the Master Wizard and took my hand in his. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or afraid, but I held on tightly.

  “I have reason to believe that Carson contacted her. I think we should bring her in for...questioning.”

  “No.”

  “That wasn’t a request, Elite. Now step aside.” He came toward me, but paused when Brande moved forward and blocked him.

  “Do you have proof, Master Priya? You can’t bring in a member of the Order on just suspicion. That is the law.”

  Leto bared his teeth. “Who do you think made those laws?”