Ivan was the first to stand. “I am at your service.”
Lutz, who was still in human form, shook his dark head, but stepped up beside Ivan. “I want to roam the forest, find a mate and catch fish from a cold streambed rushing down a mountainside.” He grunted and the corner of his mouth lifted. “Even if I go back, I may not have the pleasure of those things. I don’t care about Watchers, Angels or Humans, but I do care about the forest.” He reached out, snatched Ivan’s cap and tussled his hair. “And this wolf pup. He needs me. I will go.”
Insepth picked up his backpack. “I have lived for such an adventure my entire life.”
Cricket lifted her head and whinnied. I looked at the horse, wondering once again how much she really understood. When Angus barked twice at me, I had to admit he understood quite a lot.
When Horas and Sawyer exchanged glances, I tensed and my blood felt cold. For the first time in a long while, the fact that they were Demons settled over me. They didn’t have souls. Where did they fit into the big picture? I asked myself.
“We’ll go, but we think you’re making a mistake—one that will be the death of us all,” Sawyer said.
My brows rose, but before I had a chance to respond, Adria interrupted.
“You two aren’t going to Romania.” She turned her head to Eae. “And neither is he. The horse must stay, too.”
“What?” I spoke at the same time as Sawyer. The frustration I’d seen earlier on his face was now doubled.
Adria pointed at Sawyer and Horas. “They are beacons to those creatures breaking free from the pit.” Her gaze burned into Eae. “His essence calls out to the Angels, the ones who are allowing the barriers to be breached. They will know your location because of him.” She tossed her long weaved hair over her shoulder. “The horse will only be in the way, and if she dies in the attempt to free my pets, all will be lost.”
I stared hard at her. Was Cricket’s life that important? It was hard to believe, but it made sense not to risk injury to her. After all, she was the reason we were on this insane mission. I looked at Eae and he nodded it was true, then my eyes lingered on Sawyer and Horas. They’d been my staunch allies since the beginning. How could I leave them behind?
“They remain here with me. I will keep them safe and well fed.” She thrust her chin at Insepth. “Golden boy goes with you, so do the Growlers.” As an afterthought, she motioned to Angus. “An’ that one. The shaggy one goes.”
“You can’t leave without me,” Sawyer pleaded, striding forward.
“What she says makes sense. If we’re going to free the dragons, the Angels can’t know about it,” I stuttered, “and neither can any of those things that attacked us in Tennessee. If it hadn’t been for Eae, we wouldn’t all be standing here right now.”
“You’re making a mistake, Ember. Please listen to me. There are things you don’t know.” Sawyer reached out for me.
I ducked his hand, backing away. “What things? Tell me.”
He shook his head, refusing to answer the pointed question. I looked past him at Horas. He was unusually somber and glanced away.
Fire pulsated inside me, growing, begging to be free. I called on my tempest to push down the flames and clear my head. Why were Sawyer and Horas keeping secrets from me—and why now?
I felt queasy and bit my lower lip, turning away from Sawyer.
“When do we leave?” I asked Adria.
She began going over the plans and I hoped Insepth and Ivan were paying attention. Her words were muddled in my ears as I fought to hold the tears in.
Because my heart was breaking.
Chapter 8
But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
Luke 11:15
We stepped into a green meadow that reminded me of Ila’s valley, except for the mountain range that surrounded it. These snowcapped hills rose two thousand feet higher than the tallest mountain in Tennessee. They were raw, rugged and inhospitable. This place was wilder than the Smokies.
Angus bounded out of the loophole, dodging clusters of dried, autumn grass at full speed. I grasped at him with my mind. No, boy. I know you’re excited, but you mustn’t run off. This place is just as dangerous as the one we left. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, panting happily.
“Ah, glad the weather’s agreeable.” Insepth shielded his eyes from the sunlight.
Ivan and Lutz walked through the opening together. I caught a glimpse of the damp, glistening reddish-brown walls of the cavern, and then the image was gone. The loophole collapsed, turning to dust in the wind. Where the doorway had been, now stood a pair of fat sheep. They startled, bleated and bucked away into the bushes. Angus came running back, barking.
I silenced my dog and looked at Insepth. “There must be people not too far away.”
“Of course. Nothing is ever that easy.” He chuckled.
I inclined my head and studied my earth mentor. His movements were quick and the smile on his face hadn’t disappeared yet. I wondered at his abrupt change of mood, and then it hit me and I felt it too. The earth was strong here—and it was singing to us. Birds chirped and trees rustled. I breathed in deeply the scent of pine needles and dirt. Stepping into this place was like coming home. I opened up to my Gaia and it burst with joy inside of me.
“I missed it. Didn’t you?” Insepth pulled out the map Adria had given him.
“Yeah, I did.”
Ivan grinned. He patted Lutz’s furry head while the bear sniffed the breeze. “This is a good place.”
I nodded, raising my face to the warm rays. Adria had been right on the choice of partners for this mission. We could blend into our surroundings and hopefully get out without notice.
I heard the map rustling in Insepth’s hands, but I kept my eyes closed. I reached out with my extra sense to look into the thick stand of trees that began at the edge of the meadow. Like tentacles spreading from my mind, I followed deer paths along a brook. A medium-sized spotted cat with ears that tapered into fine points stared back at me from the limb of a beech tree. Its cub peeked out around its rump. Further into the woods, spruce trees replaced the white-trunked aspen. Right on the line of separation between the two kinds of trees, I saw a gathering of bears, maybe thirty or forty in number. Some were black bears, but most were brown. As my mind raced in and out of the group, trying to understand, the largest bear shook his burnished head and looked right at me.
I gasped, popping my eyes open. Ivan touched my shoulder. “What is it?” he whispered.
“Bears.”
“Bears you say?” Insepth looked up from the map. “How many?”
I glanced at Lutz, who turned his head to listen. Long threads of drool dripped from his sharp, two inch long teeth. “Three dozen, maybe.”
Insepth’s eyes widened and his mouth curved. He followed my gaze. I felt the swell of his power as he searched with his own sense.
“Right.” He hastily folded the map and stuffed it into his pocket. “I suggest we get moving. The sun is dropping on the horizon. We have perhaps an hour of light before night falls.”
His urgency was palpable. When he strode to the forest’s edge and followed it easterly, I stretched my legs to keep up without pestering him with questions.
“Ivan, become a wolf. Shadow us, but not so close that anyone watching might suspect we’re together.” Ivan nodded, then colors exploded where he stood. His tail was the only thing I saw as the leaves of the bushes folded back together where he had jumped away. Lutz stopped and waited for instructions. I hid a smile that the giant bear listened to me at all. “Same for you, but keep an eye on Ivan. If we become separated for any reason, I want you two to stay together.”
Lutz acknowledged me with a broad toss of his head. When he vanished into the foliage, it took a few more seconds for the branches to stop moving. Insepth ha
dn’t bothered to slow and I jogged to catch up to him.
When I reached him, he said, “Good call.” He paused just long enough to make me squirm.
“What?” I drawled out.
“It’s surprising how good you are at ordering people around.” He smirked. “Not in a bad way, mind you. Your strategical instincts are right on and usually aligned with my own. Strange to see such a youngster with the confidence to delegate authority to a bear.” He snickered. “And the way you handled the Demons was brilliant.”
I grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. “It wasn’t my choice to leave Sawyer and Horas behind. It was Adria’s.”
“Hah.” He wagged his finger at me. “Don’t pull that with me. We’re too much alike, you and I, even if you don’t care to admit it.” He leaned in and the earth puffed off him in a delicious wave of power. I held my ground, holding my breath. “If you had really wanted them to accompany us, you would have made it happen.”
I released his arm, opened my mouth, and then closed it again. He was right. No sense in denying it. We had one thing in common: I didn’t trust anyone completely, and neither did he. I gazed into the shadows under the trees. Maybe Ivan—I trusted him.
Insepth’s voice softened. “It’s difficult to accept the truth sometimes, but enlightening when you do.” He scratched his head and glanced around as if expecting an ambush at any moment. “What is it about those two that has you on edge all of a sudden?”
The sun dipped below the tallest peak, and with its absence came a cool breeze and the screech of a hawk. The forest was eerily quiet. I tried to shrug off the feeling. No one knew we were here—except Adria, and it would serve her no purpose to betray us. Still, I shivered. There were two dragons buried somewhere around here and we were going to free them.
“It isn’t anything in particular—” I searched for the right words, not wanting to slander Sawyer in any way. “—just that they’re Demons. I’ve seen Sawyer and Horas commit acts of bravery and kindness. They’ve been loyal to a fault—but I can’t help wondering if that’s part of their nature, to fit in and survive until the time comes to do otherwise.”
His brow lifted. “Otherwise? Are you talking about when Hell opens up and its king comes to the surface searching for his subjects?”
I nodded slowly.
Insepth cleared his throat. I was waiting for him to begin shooting off more reasons why I shouldn’t trust Sawyer. But he didn’t. Instead, his eyes were troubled when he stepped even closer after shifting them left and right.
“Ila was a straight shooter—probably the most honest person I’ve ever known. She always questioned her own actions and held high standards. She was incredibly perceptive. She didn’t associate with beings without honor.” The stiffening breeze blew a tangle of blond curls across his eyes. He paused to push it back and his face was grim. “I don’t believe she would have paired you with Sawyer if she had any doubts about him. I have personally known Horas for a long time. To be honest, he’s the only Demon I’ve ever mildly trusted. I say we believe in them until they give us reason for doubt, but stay vigilant.”
His mouth dropped onto mine and his hand pressed onto my back until my breasts were smashed into his chest. Fire simmered within me, but my Gaia held it back. The shock of his lips moving on mine stunned me and I didn’t know what to do. Then Insepth whispered into my mouth, and then I understood.
“We’re surrounded,” he said with his lips still on mine. “We will link, then—”
“And then nothing!” A voice roared out from the tree line.
Insepth’s forehead rested on mine. “I’m sorry. I fear we won’t easily wiggle out of this one.”
Run, Angus. Run away! I shouted into his mind.
The dog responded without question. Bursting away from us, he streaked across the meadow and into a dense stretch of bushes.
Still in Insepth’s embrace, the relief I’d felt at seeing Angus escape turned to horror when I turned my head. A line of white clad men and woman—no, Watchers—emerged from the cover of the forest.
“Who are they?” I swallowed a lump in my throat.
“They are the Watchers of the Light.”
Chapter 9
Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.”
John 12: 35
One by one, I studied the group of Watchers encircling us. A few were women, but most were men. Some were gray haired and bearded, others young and vibrant. The one thing they all had in common was incredible power; and they were linking. I tensed and was swatting Insepth’s arm when I felt the weaves of elements intermingling, locking around us. He shot me a warning glance.
Why was he being so cautious? If we joined powers, we could probably wipe out the entire lot of them with earth and fire. Mistrust tightened my throat and I grasped my fire, filling with it.
Insepth’s head snapped down. “Don’t,” he urged in a fierce whisper. “The ones you see are the elders. There are hundreds more hidden along the hillside.” His gaze lifted and I followed it. “Don’t you sense them?”
I had been so focused on the bears, I’d failed to delve deeper with my powers. Watchers had camouflaged themselves with nature, much the same way Ila hid her valley or Insepth kept his Biltmore replica secret from the world. These Watchers were cloaked, but now that I was looking, I found them easily. Insepth was right. There were dozens more in the shadows of the trees—waiting and watching.
Insepth and I were back to back, slowly turning together to look at the encircling Watchers. “What’s your plan?” I said over my shoulder.
His back straightened and he answered me with his mind. Their link is strong—we can’t break it. He sucked in a deep breath. I know these Watchers. They will question us and employ techniques to test our lies. Then they will torture us—with no qualms about it. When they learn we are actively trying to stop the rapture, they will kill us.
I swallowed, my eyes flitting from a bearded Watcher to the blonde he was murmuring to. She held a crystal staff that sparkled unnaturally at its bulbous tip. Water and air wafted powerfully off her. When she caught me watching, she dipped her chin in acknowledgment. The slight narrowing of her eyes was the only sign of hostility she showed, but I wasn’t fooled. The water inside me sloshed around at the sight of her, much different from its reaction to Adria’s presence when it turned into the calm smoothness of a lake’s surface.
Follow my lead, Ember—as insane as it may be. It’s the only way, Insepth pleaded.
Explain, I demanded.
I can’t—no time.
“Either you have lost your mind or you’re on some desperate errand, Insepth. What brings you to our territory?” the bearded man asked. His voice boomed over the clearing as though he held a horn to his lips.
I froze in place. So Insepth knew we were stepping into a hornet’s nest and didn’t feel the need to warn me? I wasn’t surprised and that angered me even more.
I reached out again with my sense and found Angus looking back at me from beneath the thorny branches of a bush. His ears pricked and he whined. I tried to send him further away, but he wouldn’t budge. In frustration, I left him, searching for Ivan and Lutz. When I came up empty, I slumped. It seemed they’d managed to elude the Watchers. Whatever happened to me and Insepth, at least the Growlers had each other. They would find Angus and the three could escape into the forest to live out whatever amount of time was left before the Angels arrived, heralding the end of the world.
“Sharoz. It’s so good see you, my old friend. And you have the pleasure of alliance with Channon, Meryl and Griffon.” He snickered. “I’m surprised to see Katherine still at the helm. I would have thought after the German fiasco, you would have booted her aside.”
The combination o
f all the elements rolled into one and rushed at us. I barely got a scream out by the time the force wrapped around us, then began twisting. I’d had some pretty painful experiences since I’d become a Watcher, but nothing compared to the wrenching feeling every inch of my body was experiencing now. The invisible forces brought us to the ground. Insepth swiveled, putting his shuddering arms around me. I tried to speak, but my mouth wouldn’t open. It felt like my bones were snapping. I don’t know how long it lasted, maybe seconds or minutes, but it seemed like hours, before the shock of power finally fell away.
We gulped for breath in unison and a splotch of blood dripped from my nose onto my shirt. My Gaia responded, starting the healing process, as the blonde woman, who I guessed to be Katherine, spoke.
“You have a minute to explain your purpose here. Only a minute. Then we snap the life out of both of you,” she said in a businesslike manner.
I coughed, hoping to stall the mad Watcher. “This isn’t a very polite way to introduce yourself.”
Her gaze settled on me, but she spoke to Insepth. “Your New World trollop must learn to hold her tongue. Now it’s thirty seconds.”
Trollop—what century was she from? The realization that my mysterious shielding kept her from knowing my true power flickered in my mind.
The fire raged inside of me, and earth and water fought to keep it down. Insepth must have felt it and placed his hand on my shoulder. Sticks and stones, my dear—settle down, he said gently.
I managed to suck in the retort that was about to slip off my tongue, and Insepth rushed out, “We have come to join your forces. Surely, a Watcher of my strength would benefit your organization.”
It was hard to tell if he was speaking from the heart or making a joke of it. I stared sharply at him. He glanced down. Be ready to do the unthinkable. Don’t hesitate.
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