“Hmmm…” Bea says, her eyes going distant.
“Do you have any insight? I mean, you have some phenomenal gifts yourself. Do you sense anything?” I ask.
Bea adjusts on the bar stool, “There are a good many things I know. One of them is that when the fifth is ready to reveal him, or herself, it will be divinely timed. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
“I sure hope you’re right.”
A smile breaks across her face, practically lighting the room in its radiance.
“Oh, believe me—of that I have no doubt.”
“How did you know? You were one, I mean?” I ask, placing my right elbow on the countertop and resting my head in my hand.
Bea purses her lips .
“I suppose, for me, I’ve sorta always known. It wasn’t a revelation, necessarily. I think I was more surprised others weren’t,” she finally says.
“I get that. When I was more aware myself, I felt that way. I couldn’t fathom how I didn’t realize my calling before. And I had a hard time existing in this world knowing so many people were asleep. Luckily, I met Gabe not long after.”
She tips her head, and her eyes twinkle. “Sounds like some wonderful timing.”
“Indeed,” I agree.
“The two of you have a very special connection. It’s clear from the second the two of you are in the same room. Indulge an old woman and tell me… how did the two of you meet?”
I let out a soft laugh. “I was such a simple, innocent thing—”
“Oh, this is going to be good, I can tell already,” Bea says, placing her hand under her chin.
“I was working at my local metaphysical shop and he came in looking for a book on twin flames. He was feeling a calling, but wasn’t sure how to place it. He figured he’d do some reading on it. Granted, this was as the internet was starting to make progress—but we were still old school. We loved our books. Anyway, just that day we had gotten a new shipment of books in, including one of twin flames, but I had purchased it myself.” I laugh, remembering back to the first time I saw his gorgeous form and felt the intensity of his eyes on me. “I had to tell him we didn’t have one because it was going home with me—and instead of walking out the door rejected, he asked me out for dinner.”
“Awe…” Bea says, grinning widely.
“Needless to say, we have been inseparable from that point on. I don’t believe either one of us have bothered to read the book, and that was twenty years ago,” I laugh.
“Sounds like the book did its job anyway,” she says, tapping the side of her nose and pointing at me.
“It most certainly did,” I say.
“May I make an observation?” Bea asks, taking my left hand in hers.
“Of course,” I say, nodding emphatically.
“It seems to me there are a good many things that come your way in a serendipitous manner. At this point, I would think you’d be an old hat at it. So don’t get so stuck in your egoic mind. It will always cloud your judgment. Instead, breathe, relax, and remember all good things will come to you in due time. The universe is a finely tuned instrument. It knows when it’s time for the next note to be played.”
“You certainly like your musical metaphors.” I grin.
“Indeed I do.”
“Do you play an instrument?”
Bea leans back a bit. “Oh, I used to.”
“Not anymore?”
“I like listening to others play now,” she offers. “They do a much better job than I ever did.”
“I doubt that,” I say.
“What about you, Morgan? What creative endeavors do you lean into?”
I sigh. “I really don’t do much anymore, not since the push to find the final five, at least. But I used to paint.”
“Really? Acrylic? Watercolor?”
“No, I like pastels, actually,” I say. “I don’t know why, but I love working with them. It’s been ages, though.”
“Interesting,” she says.
“Ugh—you ladies couldn’t sleep either?” Thea says, stumbling her way into the kitchen.
Both of us nod and wave her over to another empty seat. As she sits down, I stand up and make my way to the coffeemaker.
“Anyone else interested in a—”
“Please, gods, yes,” Thea says.
I grin.
“Bea?” I ask, turning my gaze to her.
“No thank you, hon. I’ll have a nice cup of tea, though.”
“Green or English? I think I have both—oh, and a couple of herbal choices,” I say, rummaging in the cupboard.
“Oh, definitely English if you have it. A spot of sugar and a dash of milk, too, please,” she says.
“You got it.” I grab cups from the cupboard and place them on the counter.
After a few moments, the kitchen is flooded with the warm scents of tea and coffee.
“Shall we sit somewhere more comfortable?” I offer, pointing to the dining table.
“I’m afraid if I make a move for the table, I might have a bit of trouble getting back up. These stools are a bit easier on this old woman’s legs,” Bea says.
Thea grunts into her coffee cup.
“All right, we can stay where we are,” I laugh, heading back to the stool I vacated.
The three of us sit quietly for a moment, each immersed in our own thoughts.
Finally, I turn to Thea. “So, what woke you up?”
She takes another sip of coffee, and says, “I dunno. I guess I kept getting these weird…”
Her voice drifts off and I hold still, letting my coffee cup linger at my lips.
“Dreams? Thoughts?” she finishes. “I guess I’m not sure what they were.”
“What did you see, Anthea?” Bea asks, placing a worn hand over Thea’s arm.
Thea’s eyes go distant, and her gaze tightens. “I don’t know. It was like this weird, impending darkness. Like… like an octopus of pure dark matter creeping around corners or something. Gods, that sounds stupid now out loud.”
Bea and I exchange significant glances.
“Actually,” I begin, “your description sounds an awful lot like—”
“Demonic energy,” Bea finishes.
“Exactly.”
Thea quirks a well-groomed eyebrow.
“Angels, demons…sure, why not?” she says. “Do they have horns and glowing red eyes?”
“No, they’re energetic forces without form, but they’re not to be trifled with. They displace all light, leaving those within their immediate vicinity devoid of any happiness, love, joy. Those touched by demonic forces lose all sense of direction—all sense of purpose. Morality is skewed, and lines of right and wrong are utterly blurred.”
“Well, that sounds swell,” Thea says, tugging her sleeves over her hands and staring into her cup.
“It’s what we’re up against,” I whisper, taking a sip of my own coffee.
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Thea mutters.
“Whether you were aware or not makes no difference. Darkness has been at work for a long time, making its way throughout the universe like an unstoppable plague. The only difference is that now it’s on our doorstep and it’s time we put an end to it,” Bea says.
“Was there anything else you saw? Any reason why this was relevant?” I ask, trying to ignore the nervous energy tickling around the edges of my mind.
Thea takes a deep breath and shakes her head. “No, nothing particularly stands out. It was just enough to keep me from drifting off.”
“Hmmm…” Bea says, her eyebrows knitting together. “Have you heard from Gabriel yet, Morgan?”
“No, not yet. Why? Do you think this has something to do with them?”
Panic begins to well in the base of my stomach, clawing its way to the surface of my being.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps we should ask Michael,” she offers.
“Michael?” I ask.
“He’s very sensitive in his own way. He might be able t
o pick up on an energy signature.” Bea shrugs.
I bite on the side of my cheek. “I don’t want to wake him if it isn’t absolutely necessary. I mean, I don’t want to overreact. There’re a lot of reasons why Gabe and Braham aren’t back yet. Diana had said Braham was with someone—Turtledove, I think, was with him. Perhaps she’s our fifth. I mean, you were just talking about serendipitous timing.”
Bea says absently. “True, very true.”
“Have you changed your mind?” I say, suddenly concerned.
Bea shudders. “No, not exactly. You know, I think I’m just finally starting to get tired. I’m gonna take my leave and get some rest for a bit.”
“Oh, sure,” I say, sliding off my stool and making my way to Bea. “Can I help you get back to your room?”
“That’s not necessary, dear. I can manage just fine. It’s nice to regain a bit of autonomy these days,” she says, shooting me a grin. She slips off the stool gingerly, allowing her body a moment to adjust to its vertical position before hobbling to her cane in the corner with a couple grunts.
Casting a backward wave, Bea shuffles out of the room, taking a few steps at a time before pausing for a beat and continuing on. The hard soles of her slippers make a swishing sound with each step, and both Thea and I sit in silence until her steps can no longer be heard from the kitchen.
“She sure is a funny old broad,” Thea finally announces.
“Definitely.” I smile.
“So, do you think this demonic energy is trying to keep the fifth from us? Or do you think the dream was just a warning for us to get our collective asses in gear?”
I bite my lip, trying to decide. “You know, I’m not willing to rule anything out. I mean, this war between light and dark has been raging for a long time—”
The main doors to the sanctuary suddenly burst open, reverberating noisily throughout the rest of the building.
Thea and I exchange glances briefly, but my heart has found an odd place for its new home in my throat. I race from the kitchen, my mild wheeling through scenarios.
What if we’re being attacked? What if the darkness is coming?
What if—
I round the last bend to find Gabe slamming the door shut and sliding the large bolt lock into place. Beside him, Braham leans against the solid wood frame, breathing heavily.
“What’s happening?” I ask, making my way to Gabe.
“We need to move fast. They’ve found us,” Gabe says, clenching his jaw.
Again, my heart thumps unevenly.
“Are you—were you hurt? Either of you?”
Braham shakes his head. “We’re okay—I don’t know what in the Hades is going on, but I’m damn glad Gabe is a good driver.”
Gabe steps forward, taking me by the upper arm and pulling me aside. “The demon was bold—far more aggressive than any of the others we’ve dealt with. I could sense it calling others, and it was beginning to rip apart the fabric of our reality. Had I not reached our protection wards in time, I don’t know what would have happened.”
I shiver at the thought.
“We need to fill everyone in on this new development. I know we’re missing the fifth, but if the demons are emboldened, it may mean it’s time to push forward and let that person catch up when we’ve located him or her.”
Gabe tips his head, “I agree. We shouldn’t wait any longer to start making plans.”
“Oh, it’s just you guys,” Thea says, entering the entryway behind me. “The way Morgan jumped outta her skin, you would have thought we were being attacked by something.”
“Well, she might not have been, but we were…” Braham says, wandering into the sanctuary.
“What do you mean?” she says, following him.
“I can’t even describe it. It was like the shadows suddenly melded into something corporeal and started…”
“Did it have tentacles? Or what looked like tentacles, anyway?” she asks, her mouth agape.
Braham nods.
“Okay, so here’s the plan,” I say, tipping my chin toward Gabe. Bea and Mike are still asleep. How about we all try to get some rest and reconvene in about three hours. By then, it should be past sunrise and we’ll all be a bit more clear. I need to talk with Gabe so we can come up with a battle plan.”
“Battle plan? Wow, shit just got serious. What happened to just saving the known universe and stuff?” Thea declares.
“Oh, trust me, that’s all part of this too,” I say. “But if we don’t have a plan in place, the demons will keep coming. Now they know where we are, which means the wards won’t hold forever. We’ll need to reset the spells every few hours.”
Braham launches his eyebrows upward, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Wow. I clearly should have been drinking something stronger than coffee,” Thea mutters.
“Try to get some rest—all of you. In a few hours, we’ll have a better idea of how to proceed,” Gabe offers.
Once again, slamming erupts from the main door of the sanctuary, making us all jump.
“Expecting someone else?” Thea squeaks, pressing her hand over her heart.
12
Morgan
I swallow hard. “Everyone we were expecting is already here.”
“Unless the wards are failing, the person has to be benevolent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be able to see the sanctuary, let alone knock at the door,” Gabe says. “Morgan, do you sense a tear in the protection? As the caster, you’d be the best one to know for sure.”
Sitting for a moment to check in, I shake my head. “No, I’m not sensing anything unusual. But then again, I didn’t expect you and Braham to come bursting through the door a moment ago, either. So I think I’m a little bit off my game.”
“Is everything okay? I heard a commotion,” Mike says, walking up from the stairwell. He scratches at the back of his head and yawns.
“Um, we’re not—” I begin.
Once again, banging echoes from the other side of the door.
Gabe shoots me a quick glance, then gets up and makes his way to the door. Pulling back the heavy lock, he swings it open.
“Can I help you?” he asks, keeping the door tight enough that none of us can see around his tall frame.
“I sure hope so,” a woman’s voice states from the other side. “I think… I think you’re looking for me.”
Scrambling to my feet, I make my way to the door so I can have a better look.
“My name’s Melissa. Melissa Freeman,” she says thrusting a dainty arm out to Gabe.
“Gabe,” he says, accepting her offering and shaking her hand. Then he steps partially aside so I can get a better look at Melissa, knowing it’s my job to vet the newcomer.
At first blush, I wouldn’t think she’d be our final angel, but looks can certainly be deceiving. Shorter than I am, her Asian ancestry is evident in the beautiful curve of her eyes. They’re also the kind of eyes that sparkle with a certain kind of knowing. The kind only someone who’s been divinely touched has.
“I’m Morgan,” I say, extending my arm.
Melissa tips her head curtly. “Nice to meet you, Morgan.”
As our hands touch, a strong connection is immediately evident as sparks of energy spring from around our wrists, binding us temporarily together. She seems oblivious to it, but I marvel at the way its colors dance like a snake weaving around its prey.
“Do you… Would you like to come in?” I offer, swinging my arm out to the inner sanctum—and the others.
Melissa cranes around the two of us, trying to get a better view of the interior. A moment later, she bows her head in approval.
“Okay,” she smiles.
As I walk back to the inner sanctum, a sea of questioning faces greets us. I smile serenely and turn to the side to introduce the newcomer.
“Everyone, this is Melissa. She’s been guided to us,” I say, knowing my words will press themselves upon the others in a way that may not make sense to her at this time.
/>
One by one their faces flit to understanding. All except Thea, who seems to have returned to a look of complacent boredom.
“Hiya Melissa. I’m Mike,” Mike says, making his way over in a few large strides.
Melissa takes his hand, tipping her head in acknowledgment. “Hi Mike. Nice to meet you.”
Sweeping my arm out, I point. “This is Braham, and over here is Thea. Come, why don’t you explain how you found us.”
“Sure, but first…I know this is gonna sound weird, but do any of you have a lighter?” she asks.
I cast a curious look, “Uh, I don’t smoke. Do any of you?”
One by one they shrug and shake their heads.
“I got one for ya, dear,” Bea says, making her way out of the small elevator to the left of the stairwell. Her cane hits the tiles on the other side, and the sound of her slippers shuffling across the slate is the only thing cutting the tension of the space.
My mouth pops open in surprise. “Bea, you smoke?”
“Heavens no, but I do like my candles lit from time to time,” she says with a smile. “It’s a bit of a habit to always have one on me, because I never know when I might need to light one.”
I narrow my eyes, trying to process.
I wouldn’t have thought they’d allow candles where she was living, but perhaps they were more progressive than I gave them credit for.
When Bea finally manages to reach us, she lifts her hand to reveal a small torch-like lighter. Melissa takes her outstretched offering.
“Thank you,” she says faintly.
Bea smiles in return.
Melissa ignites the lighter and as she brings it to her hand, a spark of luminescence erupts from the middle of her palm. At first, the spark is nothing more than a tiny ember flickering an inch or so above her palm, but it grows in ferocity until it's more akin to a mini sun blazing in the middle of the sanctuary.
Light crackles around the edges in various colors and shades, and suddenly, the entire sphere starts to rotate counterclockwise. Spinning wildly, it eventually bursts open, and light floods out to all four corners of the room. The light is so powerful it practically bursts straight through us until the room is nothing more than the light.
The Chronicles of the 8th Dimension - Limited Edition Box Set (4 Books): A Supernatural Thriller Box Set Page 38
