The Gray Tower Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Alesha Escobar

  Directly in front of me stood Father Maolán Martin, with white hair so frazzled that it almost stood upright. Bloody lacerations marred his wrinkled face, and his limbs trembled. Despite his physical injuries, he still spoke with iron resolve in his voice and emanated power through his aged eyes. He had his palm open toward me, and I saw a white light glowing with a golden crucifix in the middle. I couldn’t understand anything he said, because he spoke Words, like a Philosopher. He spoke a long string of phrases, and, at the end, he finally lowered the crucifix and said, “Tu ergo arctius et conlabefactus, Ammon! In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti...Amen.”

  38

  Maolán finally released the Circle of Silence he had cast around the entire place, and I knelt by Ernest’s side in the living room, casting a Circle of Healing. I concentrated on mending the wounds in his leg, and his puffy cheek which made it difficult to open his left eye. I also extended the Circle to Maolán, so that the cuts and bruises on his face would also close up and heal.

  When I finished, he cast a greater Circle of Protection around us and then took a seat on the couch. He thanked Alina as she handed him a bottle of whiskey. He poured a glass for Ernest and himself while she headed toward her bedroom to check on Delana. I rose to my feet and sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair across from the men, taking in a deep breath and clasping my hands together.

  “Maolán, thank you for coming.”

  He finished his whiskey and refilled his small glass. “Hmph. I never thought I’d hear those words coming from you...I never thought I’d come to your aid.”

  “Thank you,” Ernest repeated for me. “You, ah, have powers like Isabella?”

  “Aye, and I met her at the Gray Tower when I worked as an ambassador for the Holy See.”

  When Ernest gave a confused look at our apparent tension, I spoke up. “Our grumpy old Irish friend here got caught spying for the Church while at the Tower.”

  “And guess who blew my cover?” He wagged a finger in my direction.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “How would you feel if you uncovered a Tower spy in the Vatican?”

  “Amused.” He smirked.

  Alina returned. “She’s still asleep, but her breathing is better now, like you said.” She stared at the floor and smoothed her apron. “I’m sorry...I would offer you something to eat, but--”

  Maolán stood and took a few notes from his pocket. He placed them in her hand. “I believe there’s a market around the corner. Get what you need.”

  She wore a shocked expression, but quickly placed the money into her apron pocket. “Thank you.”

  “If you don’t mind,” Ernest said, standing, “I’d like to come along. Gotta get your fresh air after an exorcism.”

  Alina nodded and they headed out the door. When they were gone, Maolán’s expression became grave, and he looked at me with a disapproving eye. “Why on God’s green earth did you believe you could handle a Confrontation with that demon?”

  “So you’re here to lecture me?” I crossed my arms.

  “We both know only certain wizards do that, and you aren’t one of them. You have no faith--it’s like going into a battlefield naked and weaponless.”

  “I have faith in magic,” I retorted. “And I have a strong mind.”

  “Vapors in the wind,” he said, observing me with a stern look. “Stop sipping gruel and start chewing the meat, child.”

  I sighed, not at all in the mood for a sermon. “I promised to help Delana. I just couldn’t abandon her.”

  “And we all saw how well that was turning out for you. When I arrived, your friend was possessed and on a rampage. And you--you were out cold. It was the first time I had ever seen someone completely unconscious cry tears.”

  I stared at the old man. “She’s going to be upset once she finds out you did an exorcism. She needed him destroyed.” I needed him destroyed.

  He sat back and gazed at me with his bright eyes. “And you were going to do it?”

  My shoulders tightened. “Would he ever come back?”

  He shook his head. “If the demon returns for her, I made sure that the first person he’d have to go through is me.”

  I admired his courage, but he looked like my grandfather’s grandfather. “Please, be careful.”

  “I know what I’m doing.” He poured another glass of whiskey. “Unlike some people.”

  I sighed and decided to change the subject. “You know, when he had me in that state of mind...he did everything he could to break down my defenses, and, for a moment, I thought I was going to fail.”

  He lifted the drink to his lips, and the whiskey was gone. “Sometimes, the worst weapons are used against here--” he placed his hand against his heart, “--and here.” He tapped the temple of his forehead with a finger.

  I nodded in understanding. “Someone came to help me just before I crossed the threshold, someone I care about, but who had died. After I spoke with him, I felt relieved. All the guilt and hurt I’ve been carrying around...they’re not an unbearable burden anymore. Do you think it was really him?”

  “Why wouldn’t it be him?” He smiled. He looked friendlier when he smiled at you.

  “Well, I guess I wasn’t a complete moron. At least I knew to call you for help.”

  “Indeed, you did.” He stood and grabbed his hat from off the table.

  “You’re leaving?”

  He put his hat on. “Perhaps our paths will cross again. Hopefully, not too soon.”

  “Goodbye. I appreciate what you did.”

  He went over to the door and opened it, but paused and tightened his shoulders. He shut the door and slowly turned to face me. “I...suppose a sense of honor and Christian charity compel me to tell you this, but did you know that you’re the Drifter?”

  I sucked in a quick breath. I jumped from my seat and rushed over to him. “You knew?”

  “Not before today,” he said. “But I think your Confrontation with the demon left you as bare as a newborn babe.”

  “I was planning on going to the Gray Tower. I have allies there who can help me.”

  “I am not using any special sight, Isabella. If you walk outside of my Circle of Protection, any wizard in the immediate area would be able to detect you. And if that wizard understands what he’s sensing--then God help you.”

  “I’ve been shielded with an enchantment most of my life...”

  “Whatever was done, I can’t duplicate it, my dear.”

  “Then how am I supposed to make it into the Tower to get this fixed, if I can already be detected?”

  He took the sapphire pendant between his thumb and forefinger, and uttered a Word. “Don’t take off the pendant. If anyone senses anything odd and asks you about it, tell him that you recently experienced a Confrontation. This will obscure others’ senses just enough.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. “How much time do I have?”

  “Five days. And don’t use any of your Drifter abilities, or it’ll nullify the enchantment.”

  “Thank you, and please, be safe.”

  “And the same to you.” He tilted his hat forward and headed down the hallway toward the exit.

  I closed the door and went to Alina’s room, where Delana slept. I sat in the chair next to the head of the bed and reached over to place my hand on her forehead. Her skin was cool to the touch, but her breathing remained normal. I smiled when her eyes fluttered open.

  “Welcome back,” I said. “How are you?”

  She faced me with a remorseful expression. “You didn’t have to do this. He almost destroyed you because of me.”

  “It’s over now. We had help. Alina even went to get food.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. I stood and walked out, heading back into the living room. This time, I took a seat on the more comfortable sofa. When I heard rustling and voices at the door, I went to open it and let Alina and Ernest inside.

  “One of these days,” Ernest said as he placed the groceries in the kitchen, “
I’m going to find a way to make a hamburger over here.”

  “Welcome to my world,” I said, closing the door after them.

  “How’s Delana?” Alina asked.

  “She just needs to rest.”

  “Will you be staying for a while?”

  I shook my head. “Unfortunately, it seems I have to leave London.”

  Ernest grabbed an apple and bit into it. “Where are you going?”

  I looked down and felt slightly anxious. “I’m going back to the Gray Tower.”

  Ernest was due back at the Air Force base, and I needed to prepare to leave. After saying our goodbyes, I caught a cab to Rose Garden, a corner café less than a quarter mile away from my building. While there, I called Jane Lewis and asked her to join me for lunch. I also called Bianca, my officemate, and asked her to meet me at my place, because I knew she was headed to the Gray Tower as well. After a twenty-minute wait, Jane finally showed up and joined me at my table. I sipped on a cup of coffee and didn’t even look at our food when the waiter set down our plates. I thought of how this would be our last meal together for a while. Who knew when or if I’d return?

  “Don’t look so sad,” she said, reading my face. “The investigation will prove that you’re innocent. I’m sure of it.”

  “Have you noticed anyone of interest entering or leaving the building?” I hadn’t forgotten about my double, who still walked around flipping her hair and vaguely answering questions.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve only seen the agents my brother sent. They’re still parked across the street.”

  I smiled a little. “Thank you, Jane, for everything.”

  She dug into her fish and vegetables. “Well, are you going to eat?”

  I lifted my fork and took a bite. I wasn’t hungry. “Listen...I have something I need you to deliver to the occult experts down at the laboratory. They’re mostly Tower-trained, and you can tell them that I found it.” I took out the talisman and handed it to her.

  “What’s this?”

  “Something that could help us end this god-awful war. A warlock named Alban owned it, and it’s supposed to lead to the Den.”

  She nodded. “I’ll take it down later tonight.”

  “And there’s one more thing,” I said.

  “As long as you don’t ask me to watch you in that mad memory Circle again.”

  I shook my head. “Never again, I promise. I need you to tell Morton that I’m heading to the Gray Tower, but I don’t want him to assume I’m going because of the investigation. If you asked your brother to let me leave for the Tower, without incurring any penalty from MI6 or SOE, I know he’d agree to it. I’m not planning on going anywhere else, and I’m willing to accept the outcome of the investigation.”

  “I’ll tell him, but I want you to promise me something.”

  “What is it?”

  “That you’ll be careful, and that you’ll make it to my wedding in March. And, you’re going to be one of my bridesmaids. You were always a second sister to me.” She frowned again and looked ready to cry.

  “Jane...don’t cry. You know I’ll be there. Just don’t put me into an ugly bridesmaid dress.”

  She snorted. “I have better sense than that.”

  We ate and talked for a while longer, and then left for our building. When we passed through the public gardens and spotted the parked car on our street, Jane ran over to the two men sitting inside and began speaking to them as a distraction. As I ran inside the building and made my way upstairs to my flat, I felt a lump in the pit of my stomach. Going back to the Gray Tower was necessary, but it also had its dangers. While the Tower made it illegal to probe a person’s mind, and would never pursue an accusation without evidence, I was more worried about how many Master Wizards would pick up on my odd magical aura and begin to ask questions. I feared whether or not Master Priya would come barging in with his trackers and demand my arrest as an accomplice to my father--and then I’d be a prisoner, and soon after, I’d be unmasked.

  However, I believed there was an answer to all of this, one that didn’t have to result in me fighting people and running for the rest of my life, like my father did. I would gain as many allies as possible and prove that the Tower’s law about Drifters didn’t apply to me, that we were fighting for the same cause. This was the key to winning all of this. If Ekwueme, one of The Three, was one of the original wizards aiding my father, along with Master Serafino Pedraic, then that was a very welcome start. Perhaps if we could sway the rest of the Council, and even the Head of the Order, then the law regarding the Drifter could be changed.

  I unlocked my door and stepped inside my flat, but immediately froze when I felt a wizard’s presence in my bedroom. I glanced around the living room and saw pink residue all over the floor and my cushioned chair. Alas, the other Isabella had exploded. I readied some of the alchemical symbols that lay hidden throughout the place and crept toward my room, where I felt the intruder. When I opened my bedroom door and saw who stood there, I scowled, and began feeding more energy into my symbols.

  “I heard about your situation with Ian and Ryker,” Neal said, closing my top dresser drawer. “I’ve submitted a statement to Morton about what happened in Cambridge.”

  I doubted he had included the part where he’d stabbed my father. I crossed my arms so that he’d see I had no weapons. The last thing I needed was for him to hit me with an enchantment.

  “You know, there’s a name for guys who go through a girl’s underwear drawer.”

  He ignored my comment. “Your doppelganger was quite interesting to speak with. Where have you been?”

  “Out.”

  A flicker of a smile crossed his lips. “The ring you said your father gave you...I’d like to take it off your hands.”

  “Sure, why not.” I leaned against the doorframe. “At least, this time, you asked for something directly instead of deceiving me.”

  He approached. “We are getting closer each day. Your father is old...tired. It’s only a matter of time, and it’s better if you accept his fate now.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Well, have fun searching my flat. If you’ll excuse me, I have to pack.”

  “Yes,” he said, scanning the room and then heading over to my closet. “Where were you going?”

  “The Gray Tower,” I said. He was probably glad to hear that.

  “If you still needed help regarding Hotaru--”

  “I don’t want your help, and I don’t need it.” I opened the closet door before he could, and I pulled out some clothes. I wouldn’t need much since Tower law required me to be in an Apprentice’s uniform while there.

  “There’s something different about you. What happened?” He walked over to my bed and sat on the edge. I pretended I was annoyed and sighed, but I quickly added more energy to the hidden symbols I had charged.

  “You remember the woman, Delana.” I went over to my dresser and collected undergarments. “That demon that you sensed tethered to her...well, we had our big showdown.”

  He scanned the room again, probably reaching out with his senses for the ring, but he seemed distracted by the different aura of energy around me--or maybe he felt my charged symbols. “Impressive. Sometimes I think you’re far more than what you lead others to believe.” He reached under the bed and pulled out my suitcase. He stood and laid it out for me.

  “Are you done looking for the ring, or did Master Priya send you to stalk me as well?” I began throwing in my clothes. All of a sudden I tensed when I felt him directly behind me.

  “You’re wearing the ring on the chain around your neck, beneath your high collar. It’s next to another enchanted item.”

  I charged every single hidden symbol throughout the flat and turned to face him. “You know I’m not going to give it to you.”

  He unraveled twenty of my sixty-four symbols. They felt like pin pricks to me as they broke down under his meticulous counterspells. “There’s a high probability you will give it to me.” />
  If I gave him the ring, it would be no different than walking him over to wherever my father was hiding. I saw what he had done to my dad back in Cambridge, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again. Besides, I couldn’t take the ring off the chain without removing the sapphire pendant that was also on there--which would break Maolán’s enchantment and expose me as the Drifter.

  “Then you’re going to have to fight me for it. And I’m not going to stop fighting, Neal. Is that what you want?”

  He unraveled another twenty symbols. “Do you remember what I told you the last time I saw you in London?”

  I frowned. “You told me to be careful, and that it would pain you if I were killed.”

  My fingers began shaking from the adrenaline rushing through me. I focused on a Putrefaction symbol, a spell of poison and decay, just beneath his feet. It may pain him if I were killed, but it didn’t mean it wouldn’t be by his hand.

  He peered into my eyes, but then lifted his gaze, as if listening to someone speak to him. “They’ve found Carson in Cairo. Master Priya is asking me to join them.”

  “Neal, don’t...”

  “Goodbye, Isabella.” He spoke a Word and reconstructed all the symbols he had broken down. He turned and then left.

  My heart sank, and my head began throbbing as I pulled my energy from the Putrefaction symbol I almost activated. I wondered if it would’ve been better to join my father when he had asked. Or would I have been holed up with him in Cairo, fighting wizards? Maybe they were right about my father finally getting tired, because I already felt exhausted and I hadn’t even started running.

  There was a loud knock on my front door, and my heart leapt into my throat. When I didn’t immediately answer, the visitor came in. I heard footsteps in the living room and was relieved to see Bianca walk in.