I opened my eyes and looked to Camille then Alena. “Michael made the lance, right?”
“Orm has a book with pictures of Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.” Alena pointed to the far wall.
Tyler rose. “I’ll go get it.”
“I have another idea.” Alena lifted the sword and dipped it in our blood.
She held it out to me. “It is yours.”
My palm burned under the lance, and a pain shot through my side. Wincing, I lifted it between us. “It is ours. There were three of us for a reason.”
Alena fit her hand above mine, and Camille wrapped her fingers around the grip below. I watched their faces, wondering if they would experience the burning or tinge in their sides. Seeing no reaction, I assumed the pain had been a warning.
Closing my lids, I saw Longinus with the blade, him slash the chest of Jesus. Then, my perspective switched. I looked up at the outline of a body on a cross. It was as if the image was blurred and covered with a white veil. Still, I knew the man to be Jesus. Water poured from the cut, and dropping the lance, I held out my hand, caught the drops, and doused them on my face.
“Forgive me, Savior, for I have sinned.” Opening my eyes, I could see the lance on the stone in front of me, the image now clear and sharp. Was blind, but now I see.
An angel appeared over me, and thinking I had gone mad, I shut my eyes. When I opened them, the angel held the knife. The sun set, and darkness surrounded me. I watched as if in a dream as the angel rolled a large round stone from in front of a cave cut into the side of a hill. The angel floated inside and reappeared carrying a body wrapped in white cloth. Looking into the sky, the angel shot up and disappeared into the stars. My mind went dark. Sucking in a deep breath, I released my grip on the sword. Alena and Camille did the same, and the lance fell to the table.
“Once laid out then never more. Only he may open the door.” Alena recited the next to last line of the poem. “That was Michael or the same angel we saw with the woman.”
Tyler laid a book on the table, opening to a page with images of the four archangels who sired the witch lines.
Alena pointed to Michael. “He is the one. Isn’t that the angel you just saw?”
I nodded. “Michael opened Jesus’ tomb and took his body to Heaven, then?”
“Okay, this is freaking me out. I want it to be done.” Camille pointed to the page with the poem: Within the Book that lays the tale, the blade’s true master shall be restored. “It has to be the Bible.”
Jude crossed to the shelf and lugged a large Bible back. It’d been in my family, or my mother’s human family, for generations. The leather cover felt soft under my fingers, and I opened to the book of Genesis. “What are we looking for?”
“I think we’re looking for instances of where Michael appears in the Bible.” Alena held up her phone and started tapping on the screen.
Four passages named Michael. Two we dismissed, but two were of interest. From Daniel, beginning with verse one of chapter twelve, the Bible stated that Michael, a great prince and guardian of his people, will rise, and the other people, the people written in the book, what book it didn’t say, shall escape and the wise “shall be like the stars forever.” In Revelation, chapter twelve, Michael battled against a dragon, Satan, or Lucifer as I liked to name him, and its angels, but Lucifer and the angels did not prevail and were sent down to Earth.
“Don’t we already know this?” Alena pushed the Bible away. “That’s what happened in the past.”
“Or what will happen, Michael will come to release his people, like the people from Sheol, as in breaking the curse?” I looked between Alena and Camille.
“So, Michael is the blade’s true master? He breaks the curse? We don’t have the power to do that? And how do we get him to come? We have to keep them from shoving some random soul into Alena.” Camille’s voice rose in pitch as she spoke.
“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.” I rubbed my hand on her back, sending calming vibes into her skin.
Those were my words, but inside, my thoughts swirled. Either the curse would be broken, or I was marching on Sonia’s compound to destroy that sword before anything happened to Alena.
Jude took the seat between Alena and Camille. “Then we call on this Michael.”
Alena slumped back in her chair. “It won’t work, remember. He’s cursed to do the bidding of the Creator except in the ninety-ninth year of each century, just like my dad.” Alena kicked the table, sending it, the lance, and the bowl of blood across the room. “The idiot cursed himself.”
The sky grew dark, and a bolt of lightning flashed from the clouds and hit the rod on the building across from us.
“See, you need me.” A dark-winged shadow flew past the window.
“Did you hear that?” Camille’s skin transformed to a pale blue.
“I heard that.” Alena’s mouth gaped. “Did you hear that? Who was that?”
I knew the voice. I’d recognize it anywhere. I wiped my sweaty palms down my jeans. “Lucifer.”
“Lucifer is here?” Alena jumped up.
“Maybe you shouldn’t call archangels idiots,” I countered.
“Okay, everybody calm down. Let’s reset.” Camille drew in a deep breath. “Take my hands.”
All five of us locked hands and focused on happy positive thoughts. I pictured each of my friends. Alena, scar-free, sitting in a college class, me waiting for her outside, and us walking to our next class together. Camille in medical school. Jude with his own Ju-Jitsu studio. Tyler with a mountain-biking company. And then I thought of DJ, and my mind went blank. I had no clue what his hopes for the future might have been.
“What is going on?” Anne’s voice filtered into my consciousness.
I opened my eyes to see a clear bright-blue sky and Mom, Anne, Chalondra, and Orm in front of us.
“What happened to the apartment?” Anne continued.
“Things got a little carried away.” Alena set the table upright.
“What about the winged creature outside and the voice, ‘See, you need me?’” Orm shuffled to us.
“Turns out . . .” Alena rocked on her heels. “You shouldn’t speak ill of important powerful angels. They don’t really take too kindly to it.”
Orm’s gaze landed on Alena. “I think you are done for the day.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Alena folded her arms over her chest.
“We’ve all been up for thirty-six hours. We should get some rest and regroup in the morning.” I wrapped my arm around Alena, praying her semi-slumber would be extra deep after the tough day and a half we’d had. She wouldn’t like what I planned to do next.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this!” Camille stomped into my room.
I slung my packed duffel over my shoulder. “Anne’s army is ready. We’ve got to destroy St. Maurice’s sword.”
“Alena is going to hate you for leaving her behind.”
“I’d rather her hate me than be a host for some ancient witch soul.” I walked away.
“She’s a full witch. You don’t know that she’s vulnerable.” Camille skipped to catch up with me.
“We don’t know that she’s not either. That mark on her face from the sword isn’t going away. There’s only one way to ensure she’ll be safe.”
Entering Anne’s command room, I checked the monitor feed from the garage. Aaron and Dimitri lifted boxes into a black SUV, and another set of guards packed a second vehicle.
Checking for my phone and the blade in my pocket, I exited the room, bound for the garage. “You don’t have to come. You can stay behind, and Tyler can come with me. That’s probably a better plan anyway.”
“What’s the strategy for getting in? How do we even know where the sword is?” Camille followed me.
“I did a locator spell on Theron. He’s at the compound in Sardinia. The sword will be with him.”
“Hey.” Camille caught my arm. “You know this could be a suicide mission, r
ight? That place is Fort Knox, Alcatraz, and a missile silo all in one.”
“With Anne’s forces, we’ll have it covered. Are you in or not?” I looked to the floor and then back at her face.
“Fine. I’ll meet you in the garage in five.”
“Make it three.” I ran down the hall.
Jude found me in the weapons room. “What took so long?”
“Camille.”
“I thought we were leaving her out of this.”
“Me too. Someone blabbed. I’m guessing Tyler.”
“You don’t think she’ll tell Alena, do you?”
I buckled a knife holster just below my knee and fit a dagger in it. “Our best chance is to get away as fast as possible. You ready for this?”
“I’m ready.” He lowered his pant leg, covering a knife.
Taking the stairs two at a time, and then jumping from stairwell to stairwell, we landed in the basement and exited to the garage.
Will approached. “What took so long?”
“Camille.”
“She’s won’t alert Alena, will she?”
“I hope not. We’ll know in one minute.” I turned my arm over and stretched it out, exposing my watch. “We roll out in two.”
Shutting the tailgate of the last SUV, I felt Camille’s presence and looked up to see her exiting the stairwell. Tyler and Grady followed.
Grady slung a pack from his back. “Add this to the heap. I’m not letting my daughter go back to that place alone.”
“This is good. That makes three of you who know the complex.” I shoved Grady’s bag in the vehicle.
We finished packing the transports and climbed inside one of them. Our SUV was the second in a caravan of twenty holding over a hundred vampires prepared to fight with us. Two hundred more would meet us on the island of Sardinia. Opening my laptop, I established the connection with the others traveling in our caravan. We needed to rest on the flight, so Will and Jacob briefed everyone in route to the airport.
The vehicles weaved through the dark city into a private hangar where a 747 waited for us. Guilt pricked at my mind as we loaded the bags onto a conveyer and watched them travel up to the cargo hold. I exposed my watch. The longest I’d ever known Alena to rest for was eight hours, which meant I had about six hours before I had to face her wrath. At least it would be virtual. With Chalondra and Orm, Anne had enough muscle and magic power to keep Alena in LA. I’d beg for forgiveness after we destroyed St. Maurice’s sword. Nothing else mattered. I would make sure she stayed safe and DJ became himself again.
Boarding the plane, the mission command convened in the conference room. Aaron, Dimitri, Jacob, and Will would lead the vampires. Their job was to get us inside. After that, Camille, Grady, Jude, myself, and four vampires, would find the sword and destroy it. I spread my fingers and balled my fist again and again as we reviewed the plan. There were over a thousand vampires with witch souls at their disposal. We had three hundred vampires and the crystal weapons. Would it be enough?
You need me. Lucifer’s voice trailed through my consciousness. Shaking my head, I stood. “I think we’re done. We all should rest.”
Will held out his palm as the team dispersed. “It’s a good strategy. We can get you in.”
“Is this a good-luck handshake or goodbye handshake?”
“This is a thank-you-for-fighting-for-Alena handshake.” He gripped my hand and slapped my bicep with the other palm.
I made my way to the sleeping quarters. It’d been over forty-eight hours since I’d slept, and I fell into a deep slumber. My alarm startled me, and I jumped up. My first thought was of Alena and how she must be awake and livid.
Aaron grabbed my phone. “No more communication. We go silent from here except for the short waves.”
“Wait.” I reached for the device.
“Hey.” He grabbed my arm. “It’s better this way. You won’t hear her complaints till you’re safe and sound back in LA.
We gathered in the conference room for updates. There wasn’t any odd movement at Sonia’s compound, and our plan would proceed as decided upon.
Fog cloaked the island, and we descended through the clouds to an airport on the eastern shore. Anne had two other planes, one landing on the western side and one on the northern tip. The next eight hours were critical. We had to stay hidden until sundown.
Seeing Camille’s shoulders shake, I leaned towards her. “You ready for this?”
She held my gaze. “This place is pure evil. It has to be destroyed.”
A chill shot through me at her words. My eyes cut to Jude. “How about you? Are you good?”
“Oh, I’m more than ready. Don’t forget they have my father.”
“Jude, I—”
His hand landed on my thigh. “I know. That’s not our mission. I won’t get distracted. We find the sword and destroy it. Anything else is a bonus.”
“Let’s make sure we get out of there. Alena will kill me if something happens to any of us.”
The plane touched down on the runway in a sea of fog so thick I couldn’t see a single building or tree, anything beyond five feet.
In front of me, Will descended the stairs to the runway. “The fog won’t clear till noon. That gives us two hours of cover.”
Inside a hangar, we found five buses waiting. Tourists descended upon the island in summer months, and although we were a little early for the season, these would be our best cover. There was only one road to the compound, and our team would take it to the castle. The other two teams would hike in, one from the west and the other from the east. Five boats stood ready to approach from the south. Anne had a small helicopter that would hover off the coast and five transport copters standing by. Land, air, and sea escapes awaited us if we survived.
Aaron, Dimitri, Jacob, and Will boarded the bus with Camille, Grady, Jude, and me. All of us and twelve of Anne’s top soldiers made up the front team. Ours would be the second in the main caravan. The first transport would take out their entry guards, and we would infiltrate the castle. Camille felt sure she’d be drawn to St. Maurice’s sword as she had before, and I prayed we could find it without being detected. Our cloaking ability would be limited with four vampires to protect. We’d tried to talk them out of going inside, but they couldn’t be persuaded.
The buses wound through the narrow streets of the city to the countryside. Just as predicted, the fog lifted by noon to reveal a blue, cloudless sky. We stopped at a resort northeast of the compound to wait till sundown. I paced down the hall.
Jude approached. “The waiting killing you too?”
Rubbing my hands down my pants, I shook my head. “Alena is going to kill me if anything happens to you guys.”
“Hey, we made this decision together.”
“No, I drove the plan. Camille decided to go along.”
“She could have overridden your decision.”
I rubbed my neck, thinking there was no one who could dissuade me from my course of action. The sword would be destroyed to keep Alena safe, and it would happen that night.
See you need to lead. Lucifer’s voice echoed in my mind.
“Hey.” Jude shook my arm. “Where did you go?”
“I’m here. I’m ready. This is going to work.”
We confirmed positions with the other teams, held a final briefing, and got some food.
“You haven’t asked about Alena.” Jacob nudged me as we loaded the bus.
“I don’t want to know. She probably hates me about now.”
He held my stare. “You’re doing the right thing.”
Her voice echoed in my head. We’ve got to stick together. We’re stronger as one. I prayed I hadn’t made a huge mistake.
As the sun set, darkness descended, the temperature dropped, and the fog rolled in from the sea. The bus headlights cast an eerie glow as the low clouds reflected the light. Three miles from the compound, we switched off the lights. I peered into the darkness, knowing the other two units flanked us, but saw noth
ing.
“What do you think Alena is doing right now?” Camille whispered. “It’s odd not to have any connection with her.”
I frowned and wondered if Alena would ever forgive me. “She’s probably plotting how to escape and join us.”
Our bus stopped half a mile from the compound’s outer gate and waited for confirmation to proceed. I hated not knowing what was going on. Imagining the driver injecting the roaming guard with the toxin and the others jumping from the vehicle to take out the rest of the outer gate force, I held my breath.
“All clear. We’re in with no alarms,” a voice communicated through our short-wave radios.
I released my breath and ran my hands down my thighs. Our bus pulled into the woods, and the others behind us parked between the trees as best they could. The team greeted us as we walked beside the road.
“Went like butter in a hot pan, boss,” the leader said. “The cameras are on a loop, and the others are waiting for you outside the wall. The space between the wall and castle is dark, just like the satellite data indicated.”
“Good.” I shot him a thumbs-up. “Fall in behind us.”
We weaved through the brush to the point group waiting at the wall. Using hand signals, we slid through the gate. Staying low, we crossed the meadow in silence and stopped behind a line of bushes. The huge castle loomed in front of me. Lights illuminated the manicured lawns between us and the main entrance, but the only other access points were the courtyard in the center and back doors facing the sea.
Taking a deep breath, I nodded to the point team. Baylor, a vampire dressed in an anti-magic suit and armed with poison syringes, loped to the opening, half-stumbling as if intoxicated.
Two guards exited the security room and approached Baylor.
“Sir, who are you? How did you get in here?” The first guard to reach Baylor held his arms out wide as if to corral him away from the entrance.
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