The Reverence of One: Book Three of the Shadow Series

by Pierce, J. M.

  Knowing it was Isaac, he stared at the screen in awe at the person he saw. Isaac was nothing as he’d pictured him. He’d always envisioned an older man, bald with a goatee or some other sort of facial hair, not the young start-up businessman that he was seeing.

  “Where is he?” asked Jenz with her eyes fixed on the screen.

  “Thad was correct. They are at a place called Union Station,” replied Prim in a monotone voice. Feeling Test’s core energy begin to escalate, Prim stood and gripped Test’s right arm. “Control it.”

  The two of them stared tensely at each other as Test nodded in understanding. Prim could feel Test’s energy stabilize, and though it didn’t increase, it didn’t decrease either.

  “I’m afraid the time has come,” spoke Jenz as she stepped in front of the television. With the other three Shadows now standing before her, she addressed them as a General would address his soldiers. “We’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but it has. Each of us has our own strengths.” She focused on Test. “Each of us has our own weakness. Find it within yourselves not to be blinded by emotion. It is the curse of our kind, but not one that can’t be overcome. It must be for us to succeed.” She paused dramatically. “To live.”

  His breathing had become labored and deep as Test stood with muscles tensed and adrenaline coursing through his veins. “When do we go?” he growled.

  Though inside her heart was racing with fear, Jenz continued to portray the strong, confident leader that she knew was needed. “Immediately,” she replied. Turning from him, she called to the back of the room. “Cliff, would you come forward please?” She held out her hand, releasing a series of weak pulses, just enough for the old man to come through.

  “We are ready,” said Cliff as his shadowy form hovered before Jenz. He turned to Test, and with great emotion in his voice, spoke to the one he called son. “This is your time, son. Don’t hold back—show ‘em what you got.”

  Addressing the Shadows once more, Jenz arched her back as she folded her arms across her chest. “This building will be sealed off, so we will have to enter while in the spirit realm.” She scanned each of their faces, expecting some kind of argument, but received affirmative nods instead. “Everyone is to follow Prim’s lead. None of us have been to this location before. Prim will be able to follow Isaac’s energy as if it were a beacon. From there, we will determine our point of entry.” She paused again to clear her throat, her nerves beginning to take their toll. “Are there any questions?” Her question was received with blank, assertive stares that signified their readiness. “Very well then.”

  In unison, they all ignited their energy, filling the room with a hot, white, blinding light as they phased to the spirit realm. The moment they’d all feared was now at hand.

  ****

  Stuck in the Atlanta Airport with an eight hour layover, Thad sat on a barstool with a cold beer in hand. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand how Atlanta was part of a flight from Oregon to Missouri. As he worked on his third beer, he silently cursed Jenz for being a tightwad and not getting him a better flight.

  Tipping back the fresh mug that the bar tender had just placed in front of him, his eye caught the television that hung on the wall behind the bar just as the frosty glass touched his lips. He instantly recognized the location. Displayed was the great hall of Union Station that he’d recently seen in a vision. He watched as the man he’d been told was named Isaac stood with Nicole lying at his feet. Suddenly he knew that his eight hour layover was no accident. Overcome with a feeling of helplessness and despair, he gripped the mug with both hands and did the only thing that he could; something he hadn’t done for years—he prayed.

  CHAPTER 25

  It was only a matter of minutes before the group stood on a large lawn with perfectly manicured grass in front of what was called Union Station. It was an impressive building made with intricate masonry. It appeared to be constructed in three sections, the center of which was the tallest portion adorned with three gigantic arched openings filled with glass. Off to each side, the rooftops dropped to nearly half the height of the center portion, appearing almost as if two buildings had been attached as an afterthought. Within the exterior walls of each of the shorter portions were a series of rectangular windows spanning five along the width and three tall. A large fountain bubbled in a round pool directly in front of the main portion, and had the driveway not been filled with emergency vehicles, one could almost envision stepping back to another period in time.

  Test looked around him, the lines and blurriness of the barrier between worlds a back drop to the nearly two dozen figures that stood in their group. He was aware of Alyssa standing by his side, and while he was grateful for her presence, he appreciated her distance even more. He was extremely focused, more so than he’d ever been in his life. More importantly, he was in control. Though he felt the gate within begging to be opened, he found it within himself to be its master instead of the other way around.

  “He’s in the center of the main building,” said Prim forcefully.

  Jenz studied the building for a moment before pointing to the right side of the shorter portion. “We will enter there.” She turned to the group with a commanding presence. “Remember that it is likely that Isaac has others with him. Lauren has shared with me that there are at least three other Reapers that she is aware of.” All eyes, even those of the spirits, stared back at her with a fierce impatience. She stepped to Test, Prim, and Lauren who stood at the front of the group while addressing them firmly. “We must be aware at all times. Use your gifts of defense as well as those of offense. Be sensitive to your surroundings, be aware of each other.” Taking a couple of steps back, she addressed the spirits. “Friends, your presence is truly a blessing, and our fate would be certain had you not chosen to fight alongside us. Remember what we’ve discussed and remember that in numbers, you have the ability to drain a Reaper of their energy. When the time comes for you to act, do it swiftly and mercilessly, for your opponent will show none. Our goal is to save lives, and in the process, eradicate the world of those Shadows who call themselves Reapers.” Addressing the Shadows once again, her voice took on the soft elegance that all had come to recognize. “Test, you will walk behind me. Prim and Lauren, you stand on either side of him.” She looked past them to the spirits. “Friends, the time has come, please take your positions.”

  Test swallowed deeply as he watched several spirits pass him by to surround Jenz on all four sides. His line of sight was suddenly cut off by a tall figure stepping before him. It was his father. He looked to his left, and there stood Cliff. Standing to his right was his mother, Maggie, and behind him Alyssa rested a hand on his back.

  Everyone remained silent. The intensity of the moment was almost overwhelming for Test, but instead of breaking down, he used it as fuel. He could feel the fire raging within him as never before and anxiously awaited Jenz’s first step.

  As the last of the spirits took their places, Jenz turned toward the building and, without looking back, spoke tenderly. “Though I’ve known all but one of you little more than a day, I consider you family and love you all.” Taking a step forward, she looked over her left shoulder to Prim, and with a steel look on her face, mouthed the words. “Take care of them.”

  A sickening feeling entered Prim as she turned away.

  ****

  They passed by the multitude of both local and military forces that had amassed in front of the building, the sight of which brought back harsh memories for Test. Far too often in a short span of time he had been surrounded by this scene, but instead of fearing it, he continued to use anything and everything as further fuel and motivation.

  The group passed silently through the thick mason brick wall and into what appeared to be a storage room full of filing cabinets and boxes. As the four Shadows phased back to the world of the living, memories of the building in Lincoln came rushing to the forefront of Test’s mind. This room was much the same as the one he’d entered the ni
ght he’d rescued Cliff in the fallout shelter. In an effort to keep his mind from wandering too far, he remembered Jenz’s words and repeated them over and over in his head. “Be aware…be aware….”

  With the renewed focus, he could feel the push of Isaac’s energy from his left. He silently wondered to himself how powerful the Reaper must be, releasing a steady stream of such massive amounts of energy for such an extended period of time. He stopped the line of thought nearly as quickly as it began. “Don’t psych yourself out,” he thought to himself. He searched for the other Reapers that he was certain were there, but could feel nothing but the push of Isaac, and the intense pull of the spirits that filled the room. It hadn’t occurred to him that though the spirits shielded his presence from the Reapers, it also shielded theirs from him. In a breathy voice, he spoke quietly. “How are we supposed to be aware of the others when we can’t feel them?”

  From his right, Prim answered. “We don’t. Not at first anyway. We have to go in blind. It’s the only way.”

  Test raised an eyebrow and scowled at Prim. “It would’ve been nice if someone could have clued me in on that important piece of information.”

  “Would it have mattered?” asked Prim with a tense scowl in return.

  “Silence,” whispered Jenz from the front.

  The group carefully maneuvered around the filing cabinets with the Shadows walking single file and each spirit taking great care not to leave their position in relation to their Shadow. Jenz opened the door and led them out of the room into a large corridor. It was then that they could begin to hear the screams of children.

  The sound caused painful looks to appear on everyone’s faces. Some struggled not to cry along with them. They moved forward, reforming the triangular formation as instructed by Jenz, and with each step the cries grew louder.

  Fearing the worst, Jenz stepped to a large wooden door and even standing behind her, placing double the amount of spirits between he and Isaac, Test could feel the elder Reaper’s massive push of energy from beyond.

  Placing her hand on the doors large, ornate golden handle, Jenz spoke as she bowed her head. “Test, you are not placed in the middle to be protected from harm.” She stood erect and then turned to him. “Your placement is to hide your greatness from the only one who can destroy you. The reason for all of this is that not only does Isaac know that he can destroy you, but he also knows that you are the only one who can destroy him.” Knowing that Colby stood invisibly between them, she reached through, feeling the cool air brought on by a spirits touch, and placed a hand over Test’s heart. “Everything that has happened to you—all of your pain, your anger, your resentment—now is the time to harness it and become the one that Isaac fears you to be.”

  Test stood tall and, with his shoulders broad and his jaws tensed, replied confidently. “I’m ready.”

  From all sides, he could feel his family’s ethereal touch. Though he couldn’t see them, he envisioned the mixture of worry and pride on their faces.

  Jenz removed her hand from his chest and turned, taking the handle in her grasp once more. As she pushed it down, the sound of the mechanism seemed to echo through the corridor. The door opened away from her and the children’s screams rushing through the crack like the forced wind of a tornado.

  Jenz stepped through and into the grand expanse of a room, followed closely by Prim, then Test, and then Lauren. The size of the room created a reverberation of sound that intensified the horror of the sight before them. Directly ahead of them, maybe fifty feet away, was Isaac still standing in nearly the same position that he had held when they first saw him on the television. Having entered on his left, they skirted to their right, trying to approach more from behind. After only two steps, a deep voice rang out through the room.

  “They’re here!”

  Due to the size of the room causing sound to reverberate, it was impossible to tell from which direction the voice came. Regardless, Lauren was still certain of whom the voice belonged. “It’s Ikuhabe,” she spoke aloud as she scanned her surroundings.

  “Welcome!” shouted Isaac as he turned with the children still in his grasp, stepping over Nicole’s trembling, but otherwise lifeless, body. He nodded his head as if to bow while looking at Jenz. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” His gaze drifted to Jenz’s left and a wide grin filled his face. “Oh, my dear Lauren, it’s so good to see you again. It’s such a pity that you couldn’t have joined us sooner.”

  Lauren stared at him scornfully, trying not to show the immense amount of fear that had suddenly arisen from within. To Isaac’s right, she could see Iku approaching from behind. The Native American hadn’t changed at all since she’d last seen him. His long black hair hung straight over his shoulders, swaying side to side with each stride he took.

  “Mr. Davis,” shouted Isaac, trying to look past Jenz. “Is that you hiding behind this strangely beautiful woman?”

  Test took a step forward. There was no fear, no hesitation—only a fierce determination to wipe the smile off of Isaac’s face. “No one’s hiding, Isaac,” replied Test, motioning to the children that Isaac retained in his invisible grasp. “No one but you. What kind of a coward hides behind children?” Letting the fire within ignite, he allowed the pulses to begin to race down his arms. “I’m here now. Let them go,” he commanded.

  Isaac stared at Test, angling his head curiously as he began to laugh. His laughter trailing into speech, Isaac replied. “Ah, Mr. Davis; do you ever wonder why it is that we cull our own kind?”

  Test glared at him without reply.

  “It’s quite simple really,” continued Isaac. “It’s because we can. You see, these children,” he raised the group of ten to fifteen children a foot or so off of the ground, causing their screams to silence, the tight grip and weight of their own bodies choking the air out of them. “These children mean little more to me than the pigeons that defecate on my car. They exist only because I chose to allow them to do so.”

  “You are no god,” growled Test, inciting another round of laughter from Isaac.

  “Am I not?” asked Isaac as he regained his composure.

  Test watched as his faced transformed, the grin nearly melting from his lips. A thud echoed through the room as Isaac released the children to his left, their bodies falling limply to the floor.

  “Be aware.” The thought suddenly entered Test’s mind like a flashing road sign. In the moment, he’d failed to realize that the spirits had left their positions. Searching the room for their presence, he could feel them in clusters to either side of Isaac and Iku, who now stood just behind and to Isaac’s right.

  Reaching down to Nicole, the energy pulse from Isaac’s left hand flared and her body jolted sharply. Test’s heart began to race, the pulses flying down his arms ever faster. He watched as her torso lifted from the ground, her mouth hanging open and slanting to one side as though she’d had a stroke. He could see drool running down her chin, and her eyes looked as though they had fallen back into her skull.

  “Let her go,” Test commanded through clenched teeth. His chest heaved and swelled with furious breaths.

  Rotating his head on his neck, the bones within popping audibly, Isaac replied. “I don’t think so.”

  In an eruption of light, Jenz phased to the other side, reappearing instantly only feet before Isaac. Test watched in horror as she stood with her arms to her throat, scraping at her own flesh. It was then that he realized that, in the millisecond of time it took for her to move, Isaac had dropped the remaining children and taken her into his grasp.

  Isaac raised his hand, lifting Jenz’s flailing body from the ground. He lifted Nicole as well, and spread his arms in a Christ-like pose with each of the women dangling helplessly on either side. Jenz continued to claw at her neck, her pink eyes had begun to roll back in their sockets, while Nicole dangled lifelessly in the air.

  In reaction, Prim’s energy burst to life as he drew back for a pulse, but before he could release, he found him
self flying sideways across the floor.

  Seeing Iku’s now glowing hand raised towards Prim, Lauren poised to strike. She crouched for a moment, like a cat ready to pounce, allowing the fire within to swell to its maximum. As the waves of energy from her core began to vibrate the floor, her arms snapped to her side and, as if someone stepped on the middle of her back, her face was planted firmly to the floor. She could taste the salty rush of blood as it ran from her nose, and with her tongue could feel that two of her front teeth were broken.

  Test held his focus on Isaac, though from his right side peripheral vision, could see four blue lights ringed in red. A quick glance revealed a young man and woman—the male a red-head and the female a strawberry blonde—each of them with a firm hold on both Prim and Lauren. Their cold blue eyes glared fiercely at their targets.

  “I’m sorry,” said Isaac to Test. “I don’t believe you’ve met the twins. Let me introduce Casper and Ashley.”

  Test slowly turned back to Isaac who held his pose while grinning proudly. “What do you want, Isaac?”

  “What do I want?” Isaac asked in a mocking manner. “What do I want?” As he spoke, the glow of energy began to swell, becoming visible through his suit coat. Test could feel the waves physically pushing him backwards. “I want you dead!” shouted Isaac. “For too long now you have avoided my desire, but today is the day that your time comes to an end!”

  His palms became engulfed in white hot light, and the bodies of Jenz and Nicole began to vibrate, like sand on the hood of a running car.

  “No!” Test screamed as he jumped forward, only to be knocked back by a two handed pulse from Ikuhabe. He flew through the air, hitting the floor hard and sliding across it on his back. As he propped himself up onto his right elbow, time stood still as he witnessed Jenz and Nicole’s death.

  Their bodies had begun to spasm violently, and in a matter of seconds, as the light from Isaac’s hands reached its peak intensity, he watched as they disintegrated into a shimmering dust.