by Paul Heron
‘Where are we?’ Ajit mumbled.
‘France,’ Scarlett replied, standing up and stretching her long, thin arms as if reaching for the ceiling. ‘Let’s go get some proper rest. We'll need to get to work later today.’
‘We can't sleep now,’ Carolina groaned. ‘It’s only half nine in the morning; our body clocks will be a mess.’ She looked at Marcel who was still sleeping. ‘Wake up sleeping beauty.’ She flicked the tip of his nose, then shook him. ‘I swear he'd sleep through an explosion.’
Ajit grunted. ‘Not an explosion, but Alban's landing isn’t far off.’
Michael peeled himself off the leather recliner and broke into an enormous stretch. As he stood up, his six-foot frame stretched so much that his joints almost shifted. He looked at Eduardo who was quiet, looking more nervous and out of place than ever.
‘Let’s go, amigo,’ Michael slapped Eduardo across the chest. He could see Eduardo didn’t sleep well, if at all. ‘We’ll figure this out, together.’ Michael felt the least he could do was comfort Eduardo; he still felt guilty. It was his fault Eduardo was kidnapped.
‘Together,’ Eduardo mumbled, looking at the ground as if he didn’t exactly believe his own words. He wrapped his England football scarf around his neck and crawled inside the sleeves of his jacket. Comfort was what Michael - like Eduardo with his woollen garment – was longing for.
‘Yes, together!’ Mohammad shouted. ‘That’s what Elisabetta wanted!’
Scarlett’s phone rang as she disembarked. ‘Nicole, we’ve arrived at the house. I’m going to ask the cook to prepare some breakfast. Then we’ll try to make sense of everything.’ She turned her head and looked at Michael who was following her off the aircraft. When she looked at him, Michael felt his stomach churn. ‘We need to keep these guys hidden until we sort this mess out.’
‘Mess? Understatement!’ Marcel said. ‘We’re stuck looking like this, charmed. And now involved in a murder.’
‘Shut up, Marcel!’ Carolina griped.
‘But you did the right thing, Sofia. It was either Michael or Garcia. We all would have done the same.’
The group agreed.
Sofia smiled. ‘Grazie!’
‘Sofia, George will want to chat to you about what happened with Garcia,’ Scarlett said as they all strolled across the garden towards the house. ‘Doing something like that takes a lot of courage, you should be proud.’
‘I am.’ Carolina rubbed Sofia’s shoulder.
‘But it’s only natural to feel traumatised by it. So, George will want to have you all assessed to see if you're okay.’ Scarlett pulled the house key from her purse, ‘we need you guys to be strong – both physically and mentally – for whatever is ahead of us. We hadn’t planned for this.’ She punched the security code into the alarm panel, waited for it to deactivate, then opened the door.
Just as they were about to enter the house, a deathly groan was carried across the land from afar, as if riding the wind. The ground shook. The sunlight disappeared. They were momentarily standing in complete darkness. France, as it had seemed, had gone back to sleep again.
‘Look,’ Carolina shouted, pointing up at the sky.
They all looked around, standing under the doorway looking at a giant set of eyes in the night sky, looking down upon them. The eyes blinked. A second groan was accompanied by another quake. The plant pots dangling on either side of the door fell off their hooks, cracking.
‘What the hell?’ Mohammad gasped, they all stared, frozen on the spot.
The eyes disappeared, and the sunlight began to break through the darkness again, returning to daylight.
‘What the hell were those eyes?’ Marcel shouted.
‘I’m done being surprised,’ Carolina said. ‘It must be bad, when even that doesn’t scare me.’
‘Lets go, get inside, now,’ Scarlett said.
Michael entered directly behind her.
He thought the houses in Guatemala and Little Camberly couldn’t have been better. He was proven wrong when Scarlett clapped her hands. The lights came on, followed by some music. White fabric blinds slowly dropped down, along the floor-to-ceiling windows, blocking the outside world. Varnished wooden flooring ran throughout, with a huge entrance and a spiralling staircase. A moose head mounted on the wall to the left added to the house’s character.
‘There’s a friend of yours,’ Marcel joked to Mohammad. ‘Why don’t you go say hi? Maybe command it to do something.’
Mohammad laughed sarcastically. ‘How about shit on your head!’
Sofia sniggered.
‘Scarlett, how do you afford these places?’ Carolina asked as they all followed her across the entrance hall towards a door that led into the kitchen. ‘I mean, these houses must cost a fortune.’ She took off her jacket, throwing it down on a black and white piano beside the kitchen door as if making herself at home.
‘The house in England and the one in Guatemala – they're mine.’ Scarlett walked straight over to a Costa machine. ‘But the Sirani Foundation has houses all over the world.’ She grabbed a cup, ready to prepare a drink as if desperate for a caffeine fix. ‘This is all at your disposal. As Elisabetta said: you seven are the Sirani Foundation.’
Michael sat down at the breakfast bar in the middle of the room. It was big enough to house an apartment. ‘It’s nice we have all this to enjoy.’ He looked at Ajit who was quieter than usual. ‘But, we need to fix this mess or all this will be gone, so right now, all this means nothing.’
They all sat down at the bar.
‘You seven, are the key people to all this. That’s why all this is at your disposal.’ Scarlett joined them, dropping herself down onto one of the wooden stools. ‘All these fancy houses and cars mean nothing. You're right, Michael.’ She looked at them all individually. ‘It’s the people that make the world special, not things. Elisabetta knew that.’ She looked at Sofia, grinning. ‘Now, Sofia, your ancestor has a new team of bad-asses ready to put an end to this dirty organisation once and for all.’ She looked at Michael, then the rest. ‘Tonight, we go to work on France, and find this bloody fragment. We’ll have our first stab at some Fomorians.’
Chapter Two
WHILE THEY WAITED FOR the cook to prepare breakfast, Michael went to his room which was located on the first floor, next to Carolina’s. They all separated for some alone time, all in their bedrooms, attempting to make sense of everything.
As he walked into his room, Michael felt a breeze flowing in through the French doors that led out to a balcony; the breeze carried with it a scent of damp wood and leaves. It had rained during the night. The room had fresh bed clothes scented with lavender that surrounded him as he dropped his dead, drained body onto it. There was an empty feeling to the room - white walls, white carpet, black and white furniture, and matching bed clothes. Everything was in perfect condition. Too perfect. Like a showroom that wasn’t lived in. No personality. Lifeless. The foam mattress was enough to send him drifting off. But when he closed his eyes, his head started to spin.
He got up and sprinted towards the ensuite bathroom. Dropping to his knees he launched his head into the toilet bowl, throwing up nothing but stomach acid.
Once the regurgitation ceased, he pulled his head out of the toilet. Sweating like a marathon runner, he wiped his face on his sleeve. Removing his tie and top two shirt buttons, he instantly felt relief. He closed the toilet’s lid and sat on it with his head between his legs, grateful for the cool air coming in from the window beside him. What the hell is happening to me? God, help me. I’ve always been good, why is this happening to me?
He stood up and walked to the sink, his weak limbs trembling with every step. Splashing cold water on his face, he looked at himself, still charmed. He welled up, ready to cry. He wiped his nose on his sleeve; I don’t want this!
He just stared at himself, feeling like he was going insane. A million and one thoughts flooding his mind. He threw a punch at the mirror, sending tiny cracks all through it, creati
ng almost a road map effect. I don’t want this!
Feeling hopeless, he just stood looking down at the ground, his shoulders slumped forward. He heard movement coming from the mirror, a slight tinkle. As he looked up at it, he watched as it began to piece itself together again, the cracks retreating, forming one solid reflective surface again. His facial expression in the reflection showed his eyes wide open, his jaw dropped almost to his chin.
The surprise quickly subsided.
He stepped back into his room, a watery portal the size of a door shimmered in the middle of the room. He stepped closer, seeing a distant view of the Tuscan farm house. His phone rang. He answered it.
‘Come through the portal, Michael,’ Elisabetta said.
He didn’t know what to do. It felt like a ball had got stuck in his throat.
He stepped into the portal, the burning sensation of the sun instantly hitting his face. He was in the middle of a field. Two-hundred yards away was the farm house – seventeenth century – and coming towards him at the speed of a champion racehorse was Storm.
As she got closer, she slowed. For a second, he thought he was about to be trampled. The look in the eyes of this creature was calm, but Michael still felt vulnerable. It beckoned him to follow. He made his way across the field towards the back of the farmhouse.
‘Buongiorno, Michael.’ Elisabetta was sitting at a rectangular wooden table, casually eating an apple. The back of the house providing some shade.
‘Buongiorno!’ Michael scratched his head and sat down at the table, instantly feeling cooler in the shade. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you again.’ He picked an apple from the fruit bowl. He took a bite, overwhelmed by the sweet taste. ‘These are beautiful!’
Elisabetta smiled. ‘Yes, apples grown in Tuscany are my favourite, too!’ She took a bite of hers, then cut a piece off for Storm. The creature ate it straight off her hand.
‘Is that thing dangerous?’ Michael asked.
Storm seemed calm around Elisabetta, but it looked like it would stomp all over you if you crossed it. It had the same presence The Dark One had.
‘She’s a powerful animal, Michael. But she’s only dangerous when she needs to be. You do not need to fear her. In fact, she fears you more. So do most of the gods and goddesses in this world.’
‘I have so many questions. I don’t know where to begin. I mean, why does he want me? Donn. He’s the most powerful god, and you say he fears me?’
Elisabetta turned, lifted a silver pot, and poured a cup of coffee for herself and for Michael. ‘We do not have a lot of time to talk. I summoned you here only briefly. It is not safe for a portal to be opened between the two worlds. But it was important that you know, you’re special, Michael. That’s all I can tell you now. But please, just have faith that everything will work out the way it should.’
‘And the rest?’ Michael blew on the steaming cup. The coffee was stronger than any cup he’d ever tasted. ‘You know Sofia has murdered someone? Do you know we’re all tired, confused, scared? We don’t know what’s going to happen out there.’ He looked into Elisabetta’s bright hazel eyes that were looking back at him, lovingly.
‘I know about Sofia. I’m there every moment with you. I feel every part of it. I feel it all.’ She placed her hand on top of his trembling hand. ‘Sofia did what she had to do to save you. She is a great companion for you, Michael. And I’m very proud of her for what she did. She needs to know that she done a good thing. She took an evil life to save a good life.’
He shrugged and looked across the field. ‘She’s got a strong will.’
Elisabetta laughed, tapping his hand. ‘She is a Sirani!’ She took another drink. ‘You have already done a great thing by stopping your world from going to war. That has saved countless lives. That war would have destroyed whatever humanity there is left. And the Fomorians here would have claimed many more souls, people would have become their slaves.’
‘But it also resulted in your sculpture being completely separated. This Mancini Corporation is unstoppable.’
‘It is not. Not while you seven continue to lead the Sirani Foundation. Don’t forget what I said, Michael. Donn...’
‘The Dark One, I want to meet him,’ Michael spat, acting confident. ‘Find out what the hell he wants me for.’
‘You do not want to face him, Michael. He is very angry. He has vowed to make the Tuatha de Danann pay. His Fomorian armies are growing strong.’
‘They’ve gone into hiding on earth.’ Michael said.
‘That is because they fear you and the other six. That is why he is so angry at the Tuatha, because they have given their powers to you and the other six. Use them wisely, Michael. Do not let them consume you.’
‘Have the Tuatha de Danann lost their powers now that we have them?’
Elisabetta shook her head. ‘But his fury comes because with the gifts of the gods on earth, you seven are unstoppable, and that is why the Fomorian monsters have...’
‘Gone into hiding,’ Michael said, finishing his coffee. ‘How powerful are these fragments?’
‘They will grant their bearer an unimaginable strength, the power of the Dark One. A force that would single handily destroy a thousand men. You must return them to the cave, Michael. Every piece.’ Elisabetta whistled for Storm to come back. ‘You must leave now, this realm is not safe for you, Michael...Michael...Michael...’
Michael’s eyes shot open as if he just woke up from the deepest sleep.
‘Are you okay?’ Sofia was sitting on the edge of his bed. ‘You were talking in your sleep.’
Michael sat up on his bed, feeling groggy. His first experience of jet lag. He had a strong taste of coffee in his mouth and blades of grass all over the front of his shirt. ‘I just had coffee with Elisabetta.’
‘What? How? What did she say? Is she going to speak with me?’
‘I don’t know, Sofia. She doesn’t give much away.’
He rotated off the bed, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. Placing his feet on the ground, he wiped the grass from his shirt and trousers. ‘I told her everything that’s happened. She said she knows. She’s there with us. She feels everything we feel.’ He grasped Sofia’s hand as she fidgeted, looking down at the ground. ‘She told me she was proud of what you did.’
‘Yeah, of course. She’s proud I shot someone.’
‘She is. She’s very proud of you, and you need to know that.’ He kissed her on the cheek. ‘And I’m proud that I have you on my side, too!’ He wiped away a tear from her face. ‘Thank you for saving my life.’ He smiled. Then she smiled. He laughed. Then she laughed. ‘Our lives are insane!’
‘I know. Come on, let’s go grab some food.’ She got up off the bed. Turning towards him, she said, ‘thank you!’
He smiled, and before he could say anything, Mohammad burst into the room. ‘Guys, come quick, come quick!’ He shouted, sprinting back out of the room again.
‘Oh, no,’ Michael shouted.
‘What’s happened now?’ Sofia shouted, leading the way out of the room to find Mohammad leaning against the wall.
‘Nothing,’ he grinned, proudly stroking his beard. ‘Breakfast is ready.’ He exploded into a fit of laughter. ‘Got you!’
Chapter Three
THEY ALL SAT AROUND the breakfast bar in the centre of the room, perched on the wooden stools like a flock of birds. Nothing to say - suffering jet lag. The cook served them with croissants and coffee. A typical French breakfast.
‘My second coffee of the morning!’ Michael looked around the bar at everyone. Nobody paid him any attention. ‘I spoke to Elisabetta.’ He took a bite of the delicious butter-soaked croissant, preparing for a million and one questions.
‘What? When? What did she say?’ Scarlett was the first to respond. To date, she was the one with all the answers, but not at this moment.
‘That was my reaction when he told me,’ Sofia said, smothering her croissant in Nutella. ‘This is how my brother and I have ours in Italy.�
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‘She didn’t say much to be honest. She said she’s proud of us all. For at least stopping the war.’
‘I’m calling George.’ Scarlett jumped up from her stool, sending it screeching behind her. She marched across the kitchen, grabbing her phone from her handbag.
‘The Mancini family,’ Michael continued, ‘who are leading the corporation, are being guided by the God of Greed.’
‘Good old Pietro Mancini?’ Mohammad spoke sarcastically.
Michael nodded. ‘He’s apparently struck a deal with Donn to have control of the earth, if Donn can re-take control of their realm. Elisabetta said the Tuatha de Danann have made Donn furious because they’ve given us their powers to use in this world.’
‘Well, he’s clearly not someone to be angered,’ Carolina said, licking her butter-soaked fingers. ‘Remember how he just turned up in the jungle,’ she gasped. ‘He’s a scary looking dude, definitely got a mean streak in him.’
‘Is Elisabetta coming to help?’ Eduardo pleaded. ‘We could use all the help we can get. You know. Maybe this dark guy can stop being such a pain in the backside and take his business elsewhere!’ he swallowed hard.
Michael laughed and shook his head. ‘That would make things a lot easier.’
‘Is she not interested in talking to the rest of us?’ Marcel said. ‘I mean, we should all speak to her.’ He finished his croissant and reached for another.
‘George,’ Scarlett said. ‘Michael’s had communication with Elisabetta.’
‘I know, Marcel,’ Michael said. ‘I agree. I asked her for answers, but she wouldn’t give them to me. She was being very secretive. She said it’s dangerous to open a portal between the two worlds.’
‘I’m putting you on loudspeaker.’ Scarlett set her phone down in the middle of the table.
‘Michael, how did Elisabetta contact you?’ George sounded as surprised as everyone else, which made Michael even more nervous with all the attention on him again. ‘I mean, this has never been heard of before. Did she appear to you or, describe what happened?’