Damian's Chronicles Complete series Boxed Set

by Michael Todd

  Max sat on the edge of his bed, his mind contemplative and his heart heavy. He did the things he did because he understood that not everything was black and white. He knew that sometimes, the best thing to do was in the grey area. Like you helping to put Sasha in the ground all those years ago, even though you worked with Lucifer to destroy humanity.

  Yep. Exactly. I had to decide that I wouldn’t be ignorant of that fact, and it’s something you have to learn too. Sometimes, the easiest answers aren’t always the right ones.

  Chapter Six

  The cab cruised slowly down the winding side roads that led to Chiswick House. Damian stared out the window as the journey progressed and admired how well-landscaped even the drive to the house was. The site was mentioned in the cardinal’s letters, and even if he wasn’t sure exactly why, Damian felt he needed to go there to at least see it for himself. Intuition had led him to that point, and he had faith that it wouldn’t leave him when he was so close to a breakthrough. He sensed that he was close to discovering the details of what was going on with the cardinal and possibly even where he had gone.

  When the driver pulled up at their destination, Damian paid him, slid out of the vehicle, and stood in front of the beautiful, curved, iron gates. Several swans waddled casually past, even though the air was cold and frosty.

  Ravi sniffed deeply. It’s gorgeous here, my friend. There are many meat sacks with cameras snapping pictures, but I can deal with it, I guess. I’m sure it’s better to have tourists everywhere rather than others trying to figure all this out.

  In a way, I suppose, he replied as he strolled through the gates to the pedestal with the map on it. But my old merc team would have been a hell of a lot of help. They were bright when it came to these kinds of things.

  “Father,” a tourist greeted him, and he nodded his head.

  Damian had almost forgotten that he had worn his whole priest getup for probably the first time in a very long while. Everyone in the church knew it wasn’t his cup of tea, and he had never worn it for things outside the Church. On that particular day, though, he felt his attire would take some of the suspicion off him if he were to wander off the beaten path in search of clues from the letter. He had enough to worry about without having to deal with people who might watch him closely while he pursued his investigation. Even he had to admit that his trench coat and huge hat wouldn’t have helped to keep him nondescript.

  Ravi snickered. So, I fully understand the getup, but I have to admit, you look really weird in that outfit. Exactly like that priest looks in that movie you showed me.

  What movie? he asked with a quick frown.

  Uh…the one with the girl who went all crazy—oh, Stigmata. He didn’t look really priestly either.

  Damian rolled his eyes. Thanks, I think. Although I have to admit, I hate wearing this outfit on a normal basis, but you already know that. He paused and looked around him. This place is interesting. There are so many little nooks and crannies here. But I still can’t figure out what it has to do with the cardinal.

  The demon chuckled. She always enjoyed knowing something he did not. This house has been in and out of religious hands for centuries, really. It was originally owned by the Burlington’s, then the Devonshire’s, then the Ministry of Works, and finally by an independent fund that works alongside English Heritage. All of these have their hand in low-key conspiracy-type events for years. It doesn’t surprise me that the cardinal would have hidden something here in the least.

  He narrowed his eyes. All right, that makes sense. But what? What could they have been hiding? This place is open to the public. That would make me think anyone could find it, whatever it is. And that wouldn’t be the smartest thing to happen, that’s for sure.

  Damian continued his slow perambulation of the grounds and enjoyed the warm sunlight and the beauty of the gardens that surrounded the structure. He discovered several different sets of gardens and chose to walk the less busy path as he wanted time to think and to be alone. There has to be some sort of sign or signature here that will confirm that I am not wasting my time.

  Ravi laughed. You act like this is a place out of a movie where clues are purposely dropped. The problem is, you have no idea what those clues will look like.

  He groaned as he wandered the path that led around the large hedges and into a slightly more secluded section of the park. No fancy vibrant colors greeted him, only a gorgeous green swath spread wide and into the distance. Directly ahead was a tiled patio area with a couple of benches, but he was the only one there.

  A sense of ease settled over him as he meandered over and sat to stare at the bright blue sky. It’s amazing that in the midst of all of the chaos, there are still places where I can sit and feel as if I am in heaven on Earth.

  I think I remember what that is like from when I was alive, she replied thoughtfully. To feel the warm breeze and appreciate it. To see the colors you usually are too boxed in to notice. It almost strikes you with a certain brilliance.

  Damian smiled and nodded. Yes, exactly. I hope one day, when the world is more peaceful than it is now, I can have a patio like this. Pretty little tiles are specifically placed beneath…beneath…

  His speech slowed as his gaze darted speculatively across the black and white tiles. There was no specific symmetrical design to the stone beneath his feet, but it wasn’t random, either. In fact, it was a mosaic of sorts. Slowly, he pushed to his feet and circled the area. His gaze darted with intense interest as his feet moved almost of their own volition.

  Uh, did you just lose your mind? Ravi asked.

  The stones, he whispered, as much to himself as to her.

  He stopped in the center and tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his lips. To his right stood a large metal swan sculpture. After a furtive look to confirm that no one was watching, he hurried over and climbed the bird. Finally, he sat on one of the flat pieces and laughed.

  Ravi looked down through his eyes. Well, what do you know? There is a clue, and it has been staring everyone in the face the entire time. It’s the insignia from the cardinal’s medallion, only around the edges of it is…

  Damian smirked. An arm. And the hand curves around and points to a specific location. It is a piece of a map.

  Yeah, but what’s the buried treasure?

  He shook his head. I don’t know. But it does point to that mausoleum—the small stone one.

  The priest clambered carefully down the sculpture and reached solid ground as a couple of people walked past and smiled at him. He returned the smile and added a wave, then waited until they disappeared around the corner. In his excitement, he moved quickly and scurried off the patio and across the shallow depth of the small yard hedged by bushes. To the right, a doorway of sorts was visible between the bushes.

  Damian stepped through the aperture and stopped at the stone mausoleum. He jiggled the handle, but the door was firmly locked. Ravi sighed. Now we have to what—find a way to steal keys to a mausoleum?

  He made no response but simply grinned as he extracted a small black case from his pocket. After a furtive study of his surroundings, he crouched in front of the door. Ravi laughed hysterically. Oh, my God! You totally pulled a lock-picking kit out of the back pocket of your priest uniform. A lock-picking priest! I always forget you can do that. Aren’t you supposed to set a good example?

  Even though he knew she wouldn’t see the gesture, he rolled his eyes and continued to jiggle the tools in the keyhole. A small click announced success, and he turned the knob. The door swung open, and he dropped to one knee and peered inside. A small breeze had blown outward when the door first opened, which indicated that it had been sealed for some time. When everything seemed quiet and without threat, he pushed to his feet.

  It took only a moment to replace the tools in their case and shove it back in his pocket. He glanced around one last time before he hurried through the doorway and pushed it carefully almost all the way shut. The mausoleum was covered by silver and white marble, from fl
oor to ceiling. A stone casket rested on a stone table in the center of the room. All in all, it looked like nothing more than a normal rich man’s place of burial.

  What do the etchings say? Ravi asked.

  Damian moved closer to the wall and ran his fingers over the marks. They’re bible quotes but really random ones. About protection, about the end of days…not your normal rest in peace type of scriptures, that is for sure. And there isn’t a name anywhere on this thing. Even the lid to the casket is blank—except for…

  She chuckled. Why does this not surprise me? Except for the insignia.

  He shook his head in excitement and circled to the side of the casket to examine it more closely. His eyes widened. Well, lookie what I found back here.

  With his hands on his hips, he squinted into the darkness of the descending stairs. They didn’t look like they had ever been used, which made him think he might be the first person to actually discern the clues and make it that far. Then again, he wasn’t sure anyone else had ever tried to. Unless that was what the three Wise Men attempted. Still, he knew they didn’t have enough heart to think outside the box.

  So, I guess we go down there? Ravi asked in a worried tone.

  Damian retrieved his flashlight and made the necessary adjustments. Damn right we are. I doubt there is a dragon hiding down there or something.

  She sighed. That’s what I thought. Lead the way, chief. Let’s see what we have down there. It’ll most likely only be some really elaborate man-cave for one of the dudes who lived here before. He told his wife he wanted a big mausoleum for his father, and it was all a lie to get a little poker time with the fellas.

  Then I would have to say he is a genius. He laughed. To go to those lengths, as a woman, I wouldn’t even have stopped him. It’s way too impressive for that nonsense.

  He directed the beam of the flashlight ahead of him and descended slowly and cautiously. The stairs followed a straight line into the darkness, and another flight and half finally brought him to the bottom. Several torches hung on the walls and seemed in near-perfect condition. He retrieved them, wound the trailed cobwebs around them, and dumped them in the liquid conveniently placed directly below where they had hung.

  A spark of the just-in-case lighter in his pocket ignited them and illuminated the whole room. It was equally as smooth and beautiful as the one above, but only held a single stone podium surrounded by melted candles. Small bloodstains had dried on the tiles, and an old, worn, leather-bound book rested on the podium.

  Damian traced his fingers across the cover of the book. Unlike virtually everything else, there was no dust or cobwebs on it. It also looked as if it had been used very recently, which meant that his original assumption that the stairs hadn’t been used was incorrect. His curiosity now fueled, he reminded himself that he had come all that way in search of answers. There was no way he could turn back at that point.

  I bet it’ll be a book of really bad art sketches that someone comes down here to make. They are dramatic about it, but all the pictures have stick bodies. Ravi laughed.

  He shook his head and chuckled as he opened up the front cover and rested it gently on the podium. Cautiously, he touched the tan, worn-looking pages with a gentle hand. It looked almost like a registrar, only there was no explanation of what the seemingly endless list of names was for. He flipped the page, then another, and confirmed that the same list continued through to the end of the book. He frowned in real bewilderment. It simply didn’t make any sense. Most of the names were crossed out like they had no connection to whatever project or secret was held there.

  Ravi seemed equally as confused. This is strange. Who writes a book of names and then crosses them out? Is this one of those weird secret sex club things?

  The priest shook his head. I doubt that… cardinal Alvin Van Truss and Sir Walter Mooning were into some secret sex club thing.

  You never know, bro, You never know. These Van whats-their-names can get seriously kinky, or so I’ve heard, she said with a deep manly voice.

  Damian laughed, located the second most recent page, and traced his finger down to the bottom. He paused his finger on the cardinal’s name. Below that, all three of the Wise Men were listed. None were crossed out, and the names of the Wise Men were circled in red. That had to be significant. No one else in the entire book had been highlighted like that.

  I wonder…if your name isn’t crossed out, does that mean you’re still alive? Ravi asked.

  He narrowed his eyes, and his finger lingered on the cardinal’s name. If that were true, it meant the cardinal was still alive. Which, in turn, meant that he might actually be able to find him and discover what the hell was going on. He really didn’t know where he would start, but he did know that the red circle around the three Wise Men’s names gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wouldn’t shock him to know they were involved in something nefarious, but it would make things slightly more difficult.

  As he moved to turn to the last page, the door upstairs slammed loudly shut. Shit. Someone is in here.

  Oh, great. We are either murdered in a fucking mausoleum, or we are locked in here to fade away with the damn body in that casket upstairs.

  The priest looked around frantically. There was nothing he could do about the torches, but he located a nook in the wall to his left. He covered the distance in a few steps and squeezed himself into the narrow space. Hopefully, the mottled shadows of the marble would help to obscure him. Footsteps echoed in the silence, and as each brought the newcomer closer, Damian’s heartbeat accelerated. If this were the demon or person responsible for it all, the battle could be of epic proportions.

  Chapter Seven

  A figure in dark clothes with their hood up to shadow their face descended the steps and stopped at the bottom. They scanned the room several times before they finally stepped into the room. The person crept through and smoothed their hands over the etchings on the walls. They paused with their back to Damian and stared at the writing as if they understood what it said. He kept perfectly still, reluctant to give them any reason to fight him. He had no idea who they were, but they seemed determined to remain as quiet as possible.

  They are stopping at the book, Ravi hissed. Then again, why else would they come down here like this? There is literally nothing else of interest.

  A black-gloved hand hovered over the book, which was still open to the second page, then skimmed a finger down it as they read the names. It paused where the three Wise Men were listed, and the finger circled them as if they were making a mental note of the entries. While there was no indication that they knew why they were on the list, it seemed clear that whoever it was knew the names.

  The person turned quickly to the most recent entries. Again, they drew their finger down the page and hesitated when they reached one specific place on the page. They shook their head and rubbed their eyes before they repeated the process. Every time they reached halfway down the page, they stopped and rubbed their eyes. Damian didn’t know what they had seen, but whatever it was, it didn’t sit well with them. They apparently struggled to comprehend the reality of it and read it over and over again. Each time, the abrupt shift of their shoulders and loud exhale revealed their frustration.

  Ravi snorted. Maybe they’re dyslexic, or maybe they don’t know how to read or something. You should take pity on them and go out and help. And while you’re out there, knock them the fuck out so we can go. I really don’t want to be stuck in this death house any longer.

  Damian shushed her in his head. Give them time. We don’t even know if this is a good or bad person.

  Uh, dressed all in black, hoodie up, creeping around a space you aren’t supposed to be in. I would say probably not good.

  She had a point, but he tried to soothe them both with the reminder of the pot and kettle. We’re in the priest uniform that I haven’t worn in forever because of my blatant disregard for old, ridiculous tradition. And we’re hiding out in a crypt of sorts—well, actually, a
basement to a crypt. What does that say about us?

  That we’re curious? Ravi chuckled. Seriously, though. What are the odds that this person is here on some religious quest? I think the world reserves that for you and your stupid curiosity.

  My stupid curiosity may lead us to a huge secret that could change the way the church is run, he snapped.

  Or it could simply be a stupid religious freak playing games because they read on a website that the tinfoil hat committee decided the church was involved in some super-secret black ops note taking.

  He smiled. I guess we’ll have to wait and see which one, won’t we?

  I should have guessed you would say that. Ravi sighed eloquently.

  The figure continued to stand there and read the first page over and over again.

  “What the fuck?” they muttered, almost angrily, and shook their head.

  Damian frowned and tensed, still pressed against the wall. That voice was so familiar. He knew the woman and needed to see who it was. Ravi protested vociferously as he moved to step out of his hiding place. What are you doing? Get back in there!

  I thought you wanted me to end this? he replied, his attention fixed suspiciously on the stranger.

  The demon hissed. Not like this. I thought more gung-ho, run right at them, act like a maniac style. Not carefully inch your way out on your tiptoes, curiosity killed the priest kind of way.

  The priest hesitated, confused by this response. He knew he had heard that voice before. Whoever it was, they were familiar to him in some way. Not many people would garner that reaction from him. He knew plenty of people, he couldn’t honestly say that he would recognize their voices.