Sasha was wide eyed, stunned by the story she was hearing. “That must have been Clive...you really beat him?”
“He was huge and strong and made for a nice big shield when a magic arrow was coming my way. As tough as he was, he wasn't tough enough to take an arrow to the back of the head and live.” Purdue tapped in between his eyes. “Saw it come out right here. Right through his face. He looked surprised, but who wouldn't, aye?”
“And what about the others? Vincent and Torsten.”
“I got away from them after the big guy got taken down. The sword gave me enough energy to keep running at a sprint for like an hour. They couldn't keep up, not at all. Left them way back in the dust like they were a couple of turtles.”
Sasha looked out the window with some trepidation. It was almost like she expected the two remaining killers to be standing there. She looked genuinely nervous, and her anxiety made Purdue feel on edge too. He suddenly wished he had found a way to finish those two others off at the time. Based on how she was reacting, he wasn't nearly as safe from them as he thought.
Sasha spoke with little enthusiasm. “Clive may have been the biggest, but he was also the dumbest of the group. He was always just a tank for the Black Sun to send out when they needed something blown apart and smashed. I really wish you had gotten one of the other two. Let me put it this way; if Clive was a sledgehammer, then Vincent and Torsten are scalpels. They're far more lethal and much more dangerous than Clive was. Honestly, killing him might have helped them. Now they'll be harder to hear coming without him knocking over everything in sight.”
Purdue felt like an idiot. All of that triumph he felt when Clive got brought down was fading away. To think that he was the worst option to defeat first, and that he might actually have been doing the others a favor...it was scary that these two highly trained assassins were out there, much harder to spot than before.
“What are some of the other things?” He hoped changing the subject would make them both feel better. Sasha still looked half-focused on those two former allies of hers and raised a brow, like she wasn't sure what he meant. “You said that you found out some important things back at the order. I already knew the first thing, so what about the rest?”
Sasha became even paler, like she was coming to terms with very grave news that she didn't want to say aloud. When she finally spoke, she didn't meet his eyes, and her voice was shaky.
“Julian knows that I helped you.”
It was really, really bad news, but Purdue wasn't too surprised at this point. The Order of the Black Sun was finding out all kinds of things lately. They found out about him not being dead. They figured out where he was—twice. And now they were able to deduce the truth about who betrayed them. The house of secrets that he and Sasha had so carefully built to protect their lives and their places was starting to crumble down around them.
“How did he figure it out?”
“That psycho questioned everyone who was there the night you almost burned to death in your mansion. He interviewed anyone who could have even possibly seen you or helped you escape. Julian tortured them and killed them all when he was convinced they were innocent, just to be one hundred percent sure that his plans wouldn't get ruined again. By process of elimination and thinking more about my absences, he realized what was happening.”
They may have been part of a malicious secret society, but Purdue felt a little bit guilty that he was responsible for so much suffering and death, especially when all of those people had actually remained loyal to the Black Sun. They had never betrayed Julian, but he tortured and murdered them anyway. He had no qualms about butchering his own people just to try and get what he wanted.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“I'm not sure,” Sasha said, looking uncharacteristically vulnerable. “Obviously I can't go back there anytime soon. Julian will have made sure that everyone knows what I did. The only way I can see...is if we can beat him and convince them that they were following a monster. Maybe then, if that happened, I could make my way back. With all of my time I've spent helping the Black Sun, they might follow me so I can steer them in a better direction.”
“That's all a pretty big if,” Purdue said. “And could blow up in our faces very easily.”
“I know,” Sasha said, looking dour. She shook her head, like she was trying to shake all of the negative thoughts out of her skull. “Right now we need to focus on keeping you alive. None of our hopes will matter if some kid picks up your sword, and you have a heart attack.”
If Purdue had done one thing right so far, it was keeping a firm hold of the Scarlet Sword. It made it easier to keep safe when you knew how much was on the line. He tightened his hold of the sheathed blade and smirked.
“It's not so bad most of the time, though admittedly, I am getting quite sick of lugging it around everywhere I go. It's a lot harder than it used to be back in the dark ages. Knights had it easy back then. They could just travel all over the world with a sword hanging from their belt, and no one would bat an eye. You do something like that nowadays, and suddenly you have policemen pointing guns at you or people running and screaming thinking you're about to stab them to death. Sometimes society just changes for the worse, eh?”
They both laughed, and it was a nice moment of levity amid all of the bad news Sasha had brought back with her.
“Anything else I should know? Like maybe where the Scarlet Sword's resting place is...that would be nice. I wouldn't have to just sit around if we get separated again. Hell, if you had just told me before you left, I could have this thing put back where it belongs already. And I'd actually be able to go outside without having to walk around with a sword in my hands.”
“We're sticking together from here on out, don't you worry,” Sasha said, but it did little to actually relieve his many worries about what was ahead of them. “I need you to help beat Julian. Especially now. I have very little allies.”
“Thanks,” Purdue said.
“But you're utterly useless as long as you’re stuck with that curse. We need to get that sword back immediately. No more staying hidden. There's no point now that we're both on the order's radar.” Sasha leaned against the television stand and prompted Purdue to sit on the bed. “So going forward with this next leg of the journey, there's a lot you need to be ready for. Things that we weren't ready for when we first found the sword.”
Sasha sat him down and did her best to tell Purdue everything she knew about the Scarlet Sword, and most importantly, she told him all about how the Order of the Black Sun had initially gotten a hold of the weapon.
Like most of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs that members of the Black Sun had to do, the council of elders had sent the Eclipsed to retrieve the sword. Despite being the black sheep of the secret society, the Eclipsed still followed their leaders' commands without question, though Julian Corvus was probably planning his coup and ascension even back at that point in time.
They hadn't really been told how dangerous the mission was going to be, but the Eclipsed at that point should always expect it to be difficult. They had gotten used to having to deal with all of the worst situations they were put in. Those were the only kinds of tasks that they were given by the higher-ups.
Sasha was a seasoned operative even then, but Julian kept all of his subordinates in his Eclipsed faction tightly pinned under his thumb. They had to obey his instruction, or the consequences could be very bad for them. He wouldn't hurt them directly, no. He would find more subtle ways to make sure that the appropriate punishment was given. He would send the ones that he didn't like on the most risky path, or use someone who messed up as a necessary sacrifice if they needed one. Everyone in the Eclipsed feared their leader because they knew that they would die in some not-so-accidental way in the near future if they upset him. That was before he was the leader of the whole order...back when he couldn't be so open and bold with his actions. He had to satiate his sadism in more underhanded ways back then.
Even still, he was a capable leader who always got the job done. Many were afraid of him, but those same people respected him just as much. Even Sasha held some respect for him, but it paled in comparison to the contempt she felt. Julian was an evil man, but he could keep a cool head when they needed someone to think straight—like during their quest for the Scarlet Sword.
The trek to the fabled Scarlet Sword had been far worse than any of them expected and much more treacherous than the old council said it would be in the briefing. They had left out any and all information about the worst obstacles entirely. Some people like Victor Moore thought that the elders just hadn't been aware of what the path held, but Julian had a different theory. He suspected that the elders were trying to purge the order of the more rebellious and unpredictable members...like most of the people in the Eclipsed had been. It was a quiet way to dispose of anyone that they didn't think they could fully control. Julian wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't be swept away while those old men continued leading the Black Sun nowhere.
Still, the lack of forewarning nearly killed the group of Eclipsed. They never heard about the bog that travelers had to cross to the castle; it could swallow a person whole if they weren't careful. Sasha saw that firsthand on the journey. She'd watched it pull one of her comrades down out of sight seconds after he had stepped into the muck. His remains were probably still down there and would remain there forever.
Their superiors also failed to mention the old, but innovative traps that the Templars had set up around the castle. There were all kinds of crude contraptions. but they all proved to be very effective against their more modern opponents. All of the defenses, both man-made and natural, were a curse themselves—a curse on anyone who dared to come to the decrepit fortress in search of the sword.
Many had been struck by arrows that fired from tripwires. Others had stepped on small wooden spikes that were hidden in the grass. The castle housing their prize may have been unmanned, but it was far from being unguarded and defenseless.
By the time they made it into the old Templar fortress, many of their comrades were bleeding from multiple wounds, wondering if all of this pain was even worth it. Sasha had been lucky that she'd gotten through relatively unscathed. Julian had also avoided all of the well placed traps without much incident.
It took some time, but they found the sword waiting in the arms of a stone knight. A man named Kraven took the sword from the statue and described feeling better than he had in years. Sasha had stood with the others, watching him brag about how strong he felt and how quickly he could swing the old sword. A second man, Rutger, demanded a chance to see what he was talking about and took the sword from Kraven. There were laughs and hoots of victory among the spectators—until Kraven toppled over and died from an apparent heart attack. Rutger handed the sword over to a third man, Wes, but Rutger started having convulsions of his own seconds later. Within a couple of minutes, the two men that had first touched the Scarlet Sword were lying dead and motionless on the stone floor of the ruined castle.
Sasha still remembered Julian's shout. “Don't let go of that sword! Don't give it to anyone!”
Wes was trembling, fumbling about with the sword. His instincts probably told him to get as far away from it as possible if it meant he was going to die, but there was a chance letting it go would do just that. Wes stood there frozen, not daring to make any further moves, holding the sword as tightly as he could. For all they knew, anyone who even touched the blade would drop dead, but Wes stood there for minutes with it in his hands, still breathing.
There was a stone tablet on a wall that was filled with markings that Sasha recognized as French. Julian translated it, still ordering Wes not to move a muscle.
“Let he who wields this blade be blessed with great strength, but let he who loses this blade lose his life. Let he who wishes for it to end, return the blade from whence it came.”
Julian glanced at the jittery young man holding the sword and then to stone knight that looked completely oblivious to all of the death that had just transpired around him. Julian pointed at Wes and then at the statue. “We need to return the blade then. Hand it over.”
Wes reached his quivering arms, offering the blade to Julian. Julian balked and rolled his gray eyes. “Not to me, you imbecile. Hand it to the statue. Put it back to where it belongs, and whatever is happening should stop.”
“H-h-ow do you do you know?” Wes asked, tears welling in his eyes.
“I don't,” Julian said. “But better to listen to the instructions than do nothing.”
Wes complied, looking absolutely horrified the whole time. He crept up to the stone statue, and Sasha was surprised that the sword didn't slip out of his sweaty hands. He placed the shaking blade into the knight's hands and stepped back, tears rolling down his face, expecting to drop dead like his comrades had. He no doubt wished that he'd never touched the damn thing.
Thankfully, nothing happened.
Julian took what he had seen and came up with a plan to retrieve it. It took days, but they flew more help in—losing some along the way from the traps outside—and after several tests, determined that they could pick up the sword without being plagued with its curse as long as they didn't touch it with their hands. A number of Black Sun agents used large pliers to pick up the weapon and transport it out of its home.
Despite the loss of life and the damage they'd been dealt, Julian considered it a win for the Eclipsed. Although, Sasha often wondered if it was worth it, considering the cost it took to get it and that no one would be able to even wield the weapon without falling prey to the curse it contained. And the next time someone used it, they wouldn't be standing right next to its resting place to remove the curse. They would have to find it again, without dying along the way.
And now that time had come. Sasha knew she had to return back to that ruin, and this time one of her only allies against Julian would die if they didn't. Sasha never wanted to go back to that old castle and the threats that surrounded it, but she was glad that she knew where to go and knew what to expect. Purdue couldn't say the same. It would all be new and strange for him.
“Well, that all sounds...horrible,” Purdue said. “But you know how to navigate through all of that, aye?”
“I do,” Sasha said. “It shouldn't be a problem this time. And we already know how dangerous the sword's curse is, so we don't need to really worry about that either.”
Purdue laughed. All he had been doing was worrying about the sword and the curse it carried. There was no way all of that concern was just going to go away. Especially during the time when they were trying to get rid of it. Knowing his luck, this was the time he should be most worried about the sword; when it seemed like it was going to be over soon, and everything was going to turn out alright.
“And this castle is in France?”
“It is.”
They were currently in Northern Island, so they would somehow have to get across the ocean to even get close to where they needed to be. That wouldn't exactly be easy considering the cargo that he had to always have in his possession. There weren't many places they were just going to let a man go tromping along in public with a deadly weapon.
“We can't use the airport,” Purdue said. “That's just not going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“You really don't see why that could be a problem for me?” Sasha shrugged her shoulders so obviously didn't see his point. Purdue let out a sigh and continued. “Perhaps the sword that needs to be practically glued to my body will be an issue? They aren't overly fond of people carrying weapons onto planes.”
“Fine,” Sasha said stubbornly. “Then we'll just have to take one of your private jets then.”
“My private jets? I don't have them anymore. Maybe you've forgotten, but your old friends drained my bank accounts and destroyed my identity.”
Purdue really missed having his own private jet. Having an easily accessible way to just go flying across the world sure was
handy with his line of work. Now he felt very tethered to the more mundane and less efficient ways of traveling. He had sort of gotten used to it, but now that they were talking about his old transportation, he realized just how much he missed that freedom he used to have. Money used to be able to get him anywhere he wanted. Those days were long gone, but hopefully he'd be able to return to that once he defeated the Order of the Black Sun for good.
“Well we can just rent one--”
“With what money, eh? I used most of the money I recovered during the trip down the Mariana Trench to get the pearl--” Purdue froze, and an idea popped into his head. There were ways he had to get across the ocean; he'd just forgotten about them because of the chaos of recent days. Assassination attempts had a way of making you forget about everything else. “We don't need a plane. We just need a boat. That's all.”
Sasha looked at him like she didn't see the difference. “People are going to question the sword on a boat just as much as they would a plane...”
“Trust me,” Purdue said. He reached into his bag and pulled out the strange looking pearl with blue markings surrounding it. “Just trust me.”
13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN– JOURNEY TO THE HIDDEN CASTLE
It didn't take them long to purchase a small rowboat, though Sasha seemed confused the entire time they were acquiring it, but not nearly as confused as the seller who spent the whole transaction looking nervously at the sheathed sword Purdue had tucked under his coat. They brought the boat down to the rocky shoreline, along with any of the belongings they had.
The pearl that Purdue had recovered at the bottom of the Mariana Trench was no ordinary pearl. Its origin wasn't known, but it somehow allowed whoever held it to control the currents and tides of the ocean. The sea bent to the whim of whoever possessed that pearl—a power that had helped Purdue defeat a rather dangerous crime boss—and he hoped it could be a great weapon to eventually use against the Order of the Black Sun when the time came to launch that attack.
Order of the Black Sun Box Set 10 Page 30
