Copyright © 2020 Tamara Geraeds
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design
Editing by Ambition Editing LLC
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 1
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PREVIOUSLY, IN CARDS OF DEATH
So much has happened, I sometimes think a year has passed instead of a couple of weeks.
Here’s a quick recap of the most important stuff in case you feel as lost as I do.
Me and my friends have been doing everything we can to prevent the Devil from escaping from Hell to rule over Earth, using the Cards of Death and our powers to save souls. Bad luck, fake friends and several curses have caused us some trouble along the way, but we’re not doing bad. We’ve only lost one soul so far.
We also had to kill our ‘friend’ Simon, but the other traitor, Paul, is still alive and probably planning something awful.
Vicky has two curses to deal with, and we found out one of them was put on her by Gisella’s aunt, who wants the Book of a Thousand Deaths to bring her daughter back from the dead. So we’re hoping to at least lift one curse soon. The second curse on her has something to do with someone touching her grave. Every time that happens, she is pulled into a memory but also closer to the Shadow World. I’m afraid I’ll lose her if she gets pulled much further.
Taylar’s unfinished business is something we’ll have to deal with soon, because it’s slowly killing him. For real this time.
Meanwhile, I’ve been watching Maël and wondering why she hates to eat. Although none of the ghosts need to eat or drink anymore, food gives them comfort. But not Maël. I’ve been meaning to ask her about it, but there’s never a good time when you’re busy fighting Lucifer.
Good things have happened too. D’Maeo got the parts of his soul back that were stolen by the black void that killed him. We found a secret room in the mansion, and in the room, we found the Bell of Izme, made by the iele, a fairy folk. There’s also a porthole in the secret room, leading to the hidden tunnel in the silver mine, where I found Dad’s notebook and a strange dark portal. With the bell, we can close the portal that the demons are trying to open. Where it leads to, we don’t know, but it can’t be any place good.
The iele came to get the bell back from us. They weren’t very friendly, but in the end, I managed to convince them to let me keep it for a while. They will be back to collect something in return though.
Mom is fine again, thankfully, but Trevor won’t rest until she’s by his side. I’m sure of it. Mona will have to keep a close watch on her. I’m glad we were able to reverse Trevor’s spell to spy on us, but I’m not so sure it actually worked. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
CHAPTER 1
Ever since my battle against the Devil started, my luck seems to be running out slowly. So when Quinn shows up telling me he has come to deliver bad news, I expect the worst.
All faces turn to him as he appears, tall and dark in his human form, and looking more worried than I’ve ever seen him.
“Quinn has some bad news,” I say before anyone has the chance to greet him. I want to know what he’s come to tell us as soon as possible.
The smiles forming on the others’ faces falter.
The angel lets out a heavy sigh and rakes a hand through his short curls. “I’m sorry, guys. I’ve been sent to tell you your actions have disturbed the balance between good and evil. Fix it or the world is doomed. Everything will shatter. All life will be lost.”
Jeep takes off his hat and wipes it several times, even though there’s no dirt on it.
“Bad news, huh? That was an understatement,” he mumbles.
We stand there frozen between the protective circle and the back door of Darkwood Manor, and it’s as if my brain has completely shut down. And it’s not just me. There are blank looks all around me.
After a long and awkward silence, I finally manage to push some words out of my throat. “I don’t get it. We saved the fourth soul. How can that disturb the balance? We’re supposed to save those souls, right?”
Quinn nods solemnly. “Yes, you did well. But you also did something else.”
When he doesn’t continue straight away, Gisella steps closer and places her hands on her hips. “Spit it out already. What was it then? What did we do wrong?”
His mouth twitches up a little as he looks at her, and I think back to a few minutes ago, when everything was still great, when Charlie and I were feeling happy because of the awesome girls we’re dating. Judging by the start of the grin on his lips, Quinn must be thinking the same, but his gaze is overshadowed by sadness.
A cold wind pulls at my clothes, and dark clouds roll in, as if the weather already knows what Quinn is about to say. Or is it just me, unconsciously changing it to fit my mood?
Either way, I’m growing impatient. “Just tell us, Quinn.” After all, I’ve still got some luck left. Whatever this is, we’ll fight it, like we always do. I have to believe we can.
Quinn presses the bridge of his nose. “Apparently you sent some people and a small army of demons to another place?”
Coldness grabs my chest, but it’s not the wind this time. “Yes, we did. We cast a spell to make anyone who attacked us disappear. Why?”
“They ended up somewhere they shouldn’t have. You’ll have to get them back, or kill them if you must, before it’s too late to restore the balance.”
Warmth floods back into my body. There’s still hope. “Sure, we can do that. Where are they?”
His shoulders move up, causing my newfound hope to shatter. “I don’t know. This is all I was told. We’re not supposed to interfere.” He gives me a small smile. “Bringing you this message was the best I could do.”
I shake my head. No more negativity. No more doubts. “It’s fine. It’s enough. We’ll figure it out. We always do.”
His smile widens. “That’s the spirit!”
And, without warning, he vanishes.
“Isn’t he a perfect ray of sunshine?” Gisella
remarks, finally lowering her arms.
Feeling the need to defend my friend, I say, “I think he’s as frustrated as we are at not being allowed to help much.”
I look around for support, and thankfully, most of the others nod in agreement.
But my breath catches in my throat when my gaze falls upon D’Maeo. Something dark moves in his eyes. I squint against the sunlight as the clouds above us part. D’Maeo swats at something in front of his face, and a fly buzzes off. I let out a silent sigh and turn. “Come on, guys. Let’s sit down and eat something first. Some of us need the energy.”
Vicky pushes me aside in a mock race to the kitchen.
“And some of us need the happiness,” she calls over her shoulder.
Mona follows, smiling again now that she’s able to return to what she’s best at: spoiling us rotten.
“How about some waffles?” she suggests while her sparkles already pull the ingredients out of the cupboards in the kitchen.
Taylar hurries past me. “I love waffles.”
“Who doesn’t,” I answer just as Maël gestures for me to go inside.
“Right,” I say, “you don’t.”
Her look of composure is immediately replaced by one of hurt. She goes a shade more transparent, and her golden headpiece seems to lose its shine.
I stay where I am while the others file into the kitchen and keep my eyes on Maël, who doesn’t move either.
When we’re finally alone outside, I try to conjure a reassuring smile. “I’d like to talk to you, Maël. I think it’s time you told me why you’ve got such an aversion to food.”
Her jaw is set tight, making her look more like a stubborn princess than a queen.
“Is that an order, master?” she asks rather coldly.
“I don’t want it to be. I’d rather you tell me because you want to, because you trust me.”
She looks away, studies the rays of sunlight dividing the lawn into dark and light patches.
“Please, Maël,” I beg. “You saw what happened to Taylar because of his unfinished business. I just want to do what I can to keep everyone safe.” Gently, I place a hand on her shoulder. “Including you.”
“I know.” She walks over to a tree stump and sits down. Her shoulders are no longer pulled back proudly, her head not held up high in confidence. When I see the change in her, I know I’ve made the right decision. There’s a heavy weight on Maël’s shoulders, and we need to lift it.
I kneel down next to her. “Please tell me everything.”
CHAPTER 2
“I had been a queen for years when I made my first big mistake,” Maël begins. “We had been moving our camp every month to avoid the Spaniards.”
I frown. “Spaniards? I thought you used to live in Africa.”
She gives me a knowing smile that makes me feel young and ignorant. “I did. It was the year 1501, I believe, when the Spaniards started shipping African people to their country to work as slaves. They were especially fond of the free tribes, since there were no masters to deal with, no one to pay or to fight to get what they wanted.” She pats my hand. “Did you not learn this at school?”
“I’m not sure,” I answer truthfully. “I wasn’t into history that much.”
Another sad smile. “But you are now?”
“Well, it’s a different story if you know someone who used to live in the past.”
Finally, her eyes sparkle a little. “You make a good point there. And anyway, history books are not always correct. I think a lot has been forgotten, changed as it was passed on or simply misunderstood.”
I sit down on the grass and fold my legs in front of me. “Tell me more, please.”
Her gaze grows distant, and I wonder if in her head she’s stepping back in time.
“We were able to stay out of the Spaniards’ way by moving around and sending scouts out every day. This meant, however, that there were not enough men left to go hunting. I appointed two of the men to teach some of our women how to hunt. They were against it, but I was their queen, so they did as they were told. It turned out the women were good at it, and soon, everyone forgot how unusual it was for them to hunt.”
While she speaks, I try to form pictures in my head of how it must have been. Groups of scarcely dressed people huddled around fires where animals were roasted or cooked. Children on the laps of their mothers, spears resting against a nearby tree, songs rising into the sky. I’ve seen it in movies countless times, but I have no idea if it was really like that so long ago. Maël’s dress certainly doesn’t look like it was made in the sixteenth century. It’s quite fashionable now. And her golden headpiece would look great on the head of a famous singer.
Maël smiles down on me. “You look like you have wondered off. Am I boring you? Do you want me to get to the point?”
I shake my head feverishly. “Not at all! I was just trying to imagine what your life was like and wondering whether all those movies I’ve seen got it right.”
She holds out her hand. “I can show you, if you like?”
In a second, I’m on my feet. “Definitely!”
She touches my arm when I sit down next to her. Just before the bright flash pulls me into the memory, I squeeze my eyes shut.
I’m glad I haven’t eaten yet, because the food would’ve been pushed out for sure. The feeling of my stomach rising to my throat is much stronger than the previous times I was sucked into a memory. Now it feels like my insides are on a rollercoaster with a blender at the end of it.
I bend over when I stop moving and retch. Inside me, everything is on fire while at the same time a knife is thrown around.
Shivering like crazy, I try to straighten up. Maël jumps to my rescue and pushes me onto a rock.
“I apologize, I should have warned you. Travelling to a memory of so long ago can be uncomfortable.”
“Uncomfortable?” I pant. “That’s… what you… call this?” I swallow hard and wrap my arms around my stomach. “Horrible is a better description.”
Maël taps her staff against my foot. “Look over there. That might make you forget your discomfort.”
Groaning softly, I look up. Several feet away from us, there’s a camp. Low, wide tents made of something black are set up in a neat line, partly hidden from sight by several trees. The sun is setting. It paints the sky with orange. In the distance, I can hear children laughing, and there’s a faint smell of fire.
“When your insides have settled, I can show you around,” Maël says.
I look up at her, and I notice her back is straighter than usual. Her skin glows in the fading light, and there’s longing in her eyes.
“Are you happy to be back?” I ask her, pushing myself up without trouble.
She inhales the humid air and closes her eyes. “Yes and no.” She starts walking with confident, royal strides. “Come on,” she calls over her shoulder. “It is almost time.”
Time for what, I wonder, but I don’t ask, because from all corners of the camp, people are emerging, all going in the same direction.
Maël takes her time following them, but she makes her way around obstacles so easily that I struggle to keep up. Tent lines, food bowls, weapons, toys, everything has been dropped, and I almost trip several times before finally arriving in the middle of the camp, where a fire is crackling and about sixty or seventy people are gathered, all facing the same way.
“They all look so beautiful,” I whisper when I come to a halt next to Maël.
She smiles without turning her head. “Yes, especially today. You see, we have a wedding.”
“Can we go closer?”
“Of course. We cannot be seen anyway. But we are not here to watch the wedding, Dante.”
My shoulders sag. “That’s a shame. I would’ve liked to see it.”
She looks down at me with fondness in her eyes. “Maybe some other time. Now watch.”
The women and children around the fire start cheering as se
veral men approach, with fully painted bodies in red and gold. One of them is covered in white flowers. His face is a work of art, decorated in white paint that forms intricate patterns.
“Did people marry out of love here?” I ask Maël.
She shakes her head. “No, usually a suitable husband was found through what you could call wedding trials. The boys had to compete with each other to get the girl. Unless, of course, it was someone of a high rank. Then my father, the king, would match two people.”
Another question rolls out of my mouth before I can stop myself. The more she tells me, the more I want to know. And now, I finally have the opportunity. “But that was before you became queen, right? Was it common for women to become leaders of the tribe?”
She sighs without a sound. “Not at all. And we were not exactly called kings and queens, but since I did not know the translation of the African word for our rulers, when your grandfather asked me who I was, I settled for queen, which is pretty close to the truth. Now, I am used to the title.” She turns away from her tribe to face me. “But to answer your question, I became the leader because I had to. We used to dig gold for Mansa Kambi, the ruler of Mali, but one day, we were ambushed by another tribe. There was a great demand for gold, and too many people digging for it. We lost more than half of our tribe that day, including my father and many other strong men.”
The tears in my eyes reflect hers as I imagine the hurt she must have felt. The hurt she still feels now because of it. “That’s horrible. I’m so sorry, Maël.”
She swallows and continues her story. “Since there were no men strong enough to compete for leadership of the tribe, and there was little time to decide, I was elected unanimously by the elders to become the leader.”
“Why wasn’t there much time?” I ask.
“Because we had to find another way to survive quickly. Digging for gold was not an option anymore, unless we wanted to travel for miles. Our village had been raided, and we barely escaped death. The men began to argue amongst themselves over leadership, since none of them was really fit enough to challenge another. Being the king’s daughter, I had been taught to hunt, and my father still trained me several times a week in battle before he died. So I could take on any of the men left.”
The Fifth Portal: a supernatural urban fantasy action adventure (Cards of Death book 5) Page 1
