by Lindsay Nall
“And the whole demon with your name thing.” Nyght interjected. She sighed and nodded.
“That’s the first thing I want to deal with.”
“You want to return to that field don’t you?” Marinique asked seeing how the wheels were turning in his niece’s head.
“I’m hoping proving that we can take care of that problem will resolve the issue of going to Whittiker, if not at least make Karter and Bart start telling the truth.” Marinique snorted and rolled his eyes.
“When do we leave?”
“That’s where it gets tricky. Uncle can pretty much just waltz out of here, no one’s going to stop him.” Vander nodded at that, he had been amazed Marinique had listened and come to headquarters when requested. “Ella I…”
“I am not needed on this mission, you work as a team and I have not worked with that team yet. I understand.” Mari gave her a little smile glad she was so understanding and glad that Marclay had not swiped her communicator too.
“The three of you…” Mari pointed to Nyght, Vander, and Reagan. “Nyght has worked on a plan for the three of you to get out of here by being on assignment. Karter should go with it and return your communicators to you then… well, at least Nyght and Reagan’s.” Storm let out a little chatter from where he was curled up at the foot of the bed next to Marclay.
“What about you?”
“There’s a storm moving in, it should hit tonight in the late hours. With Alto’s help, I will use it as cover.”
“Alto?” She nodded at Reagan’s question. “There are quite a few hidden rooms in this building and one of them leads to the north turret roof. I will meet you all in the next town to the north.” Everyone but Nyght nodded at her request, he had been part of the planning. “Until then everyone carry on as normal but be careful, we don’t need anyone realizing I broke into Karter’s office.”
“Do you think he’s going to notice?” Vander asked with a grin.
“I’m not sure, he was so angry about everything and then how he acted in the log room… just tread carefully. If you can’t keep the secret from him avoid him.” Everyone nodded at her instructions and left the room leaving her and Nyght alone once more.
“So does this mean I should steer clear of you for the rest of the day so we all have alibi’s?”
“Don’t you dare, we still have a prophecy to figure out.” She settled back on the bed pulling his journal into her lap so she could stare at it blankly as she had all morning.
“What are we going to do if Karter sends people out to collect us?” She looked up from the journal then but she didn’t seem the least bit worried.
“What are field researchers going to do to bring in five members of The Fourteen?” He thought about that for a second then shrugged. There wasn’t anything they could do other than follow them and tell Karter where they were. The last thing they needed were field researchers following them into a den of demons, literally. “So I think I’ve broken this down into sections so we can work on them one at a time.” He crawled up the bed to lay next to her and look over her arm at the book. “Flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone… it seems like it’s talking about a child doesn’t it?” He nodded. “Shimmering light will guide you home.” She gnawed on her lip for a second mentally kicking herself for telling him she had an idea. She did but the more she thought about it the more ridiculous it sounded even to her.
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure it makes sense.”
“Try me.”
“I just, okay.” She leaned forward to sit indian style and face him where he was still lying on the bed, he rolled on to his side to keep her gaze. “I kept trying to come up with things that shimmer but I kept coming up with things like light on water but that made no sense, stars could but they don’t shimmer they either shine or they don’t.” He nodded at her thoughts so far curious about the one she was holding back. “When I use my eye, when I see people’s souls…” She shook her head. “It’s ludicrous.”
“Just tell me.”
“Love shimmers. It’s like this bright metallic ribbon winding around the person’s heart.” He played with the idea of it tossing it back and forth but the longer he was quiet the more discouraged she got.
“It does make sense.” It did? “Break it down into simple terms, basically my child love will guide you home.”
“My child…” She shook her head at the memories of Saran calling her that.
“You miss him don’t you?” She nodded. “Maybe you could try calling on him again, maybe he wasn’t…” He trailed off as she shook her head.
“I believe him when he said he would not be able to come back. It makes me sad but at the same time glad to know he thinks I can find all of the answers on my own now.”
“I guess I get that but you’re not on your own.”
“I know.” She had a whole team behind her but as they broke down more of the prophecy into easier to handle sections she couldn’t help but wonder if she was leading this team to victory or slaughter.
Twenty-three
Alto had been leading Mari down long-forgotten corridors for what felt like hours. At every turn they encountered cobwebs, small rodents and at one point an opossum who promptly rolled over at the light from their torch.
“Are we going to the north turret or the other side of the world?” She asked brushing yet another cobweb from her hair. At this point, she would be glad to be caught up in the storm just to rinse all the creepy crawlies from her body.
“It’s not much further.” They turned another corner coming to what looked like a solid brick wall.
“Oh great a dead end. I thought you said you knew where we were going.” He cast a glare on her that immediately made her stop whining. She watched as he inspected the wall counting the bricks upwards and then to the left. As his fingers rested on the last brick he gave it a small push causing a section of the wall to swing open. “Hidden doors?” What else was in this building that she didn’t know about? Were there other tunnels underneath? A cave? Her mind wandered to all the possibilities of hidden places within the walls halting when Alto came to a dead stop.
“This is where I leave you.” She glanced in front of them at a large stone staircase that spiraled upwards. “This is the north turret, follow the stairs up and you will reach the top, there should be a small opening to the roof from there.” Should be? What if there wasn’t? What if she got to the top and she just had to turn around and come back down? Voicing her concerns Alto shrugged. “I don’t know the last time it was ever used; it has been decades at least. You have power Mari, even if there isn’t an exit I’m sure you can come up with something.” He was right, this was too important to back out of just because she couldn’t think her way out of a problem. Nyght, Vander, and Reagan had all left earlier after convincing Karter that they would be leaving her behind. He had bought the story reluctantly but knew he needed the Shadows in the field too badly to say otherwise. Marinique, on the other hand, marched himself right out the front gate ignoring the yells and reprimands from those who stood guarding the doors.
Taking the torch from Alto she took a quick look at the wet mossy stone then looked back to him. He looked worried, his face drawn tight with emotions. “What is it?”
“Just be careful. The number of tears you mentioned…” He was just as worried as she was that they were going to be walking into a trap but they had to go. What would happen if normal people came across that field?
“I know, we’ll be okay.” Flashing him a big smile that she didn’t feel she started her ascension up the stairs with a grim mindset. How was she going to prepare everyone for the idea that this was a setup? Had they all already realized the possibilities of this being one and kept their concerns to themselves? And whatever happened to the field researchers that were sent out to inspect the tears? As far as anyone knew no one had heard back from them.
Ten minutes later as she continued her spiraled journey she let a curse flow from her
lips. Just how tall was the north turret and why weren’t there any other ways to access it than deep underground as she and Alto had?
All thoughts and fears of the upcoming travels seemed to disappear from her mind as she continued focusing solely on how many steps she had taken and how many more were left.
“This has to be at least the tenth story…” The building only had seven so the top couldn’t be far off, could it?
As she rounded the column of stairs she found a door a few feet in front of her and breathed a sigh of relief but once she opened it she swore again. In front of her were more stairs and what looked like another door built into the wall. “For the love of all that’s holy, why couldn’t he have just brought me to this one?”
“Probably because he was afraid I would catch you.” She jumped at the voice waving her torch back and forth to look around revealing Karter as he came down a few of the steps in front of her.
“You’re not stopping me.” He held up his hands in surrender.
“I have no intention to.” She relaxed a little but kept her guard. If he was lying to her again she had no doubt someone else was in here with them. “We are alone.” He leaned up against the cylindrical interior wall of the tower with a sigh. “There is nothing I can do to stop you is there?”
“No.” Her jaw was set firmly, her eyes narrowed in to watch his facial expression and body movements.
“I should have expected as much.” He seemed like the old Karter to her, the carefree boyish Karter that she had grown up around but she knew better. How many times had he lied to her that she didn’t know about? Why had he grounded her entire team and destroyed the prophecy? She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to demand answers to but as her mind raced she just stood there staring at him. “Where is the rest of your team meeting you?” She remained silent afraid if she opened her mouth she would not only let loose the tirade of anger she was brewing but tell him her plans in the process. “Very well, we will see you all when you return.” He pushed off of the wall heading for the door to her right.
“Why do you care?” It was a simple question but it caused his step to falter. “Why do you care what happens to me? Why do you care what I do or don’t do? Why does it matter so damn much to you!?” He turned around facing her from only a few feet away. The look on his face was pensive but she could see how guarded his eyes were.
“I do care, that is why I do what I do.”
“Really? Does that lie make it easier for you to sleep at night?” Her fist had balled at her side, her words coming out clipped and angry. “Tell me did destroying the prophecy have anything to do with my parents?”
“It does.” Since when was he honest with her. “What other questions would you like me to answer?”
“I don’t have time to ask them all.” She looked back to the stairs wondering how much further it would be until she was free of this place.
“Very well.”
“Saran is gone now because of you.” His eyes went a bit wide at that. “I’m assuming you already knew I had been visited by him though.” He shook his head. “He can’t come back now because of you, because of what you did in the log room.” He was quiet for a long moment but she could see the wheels turning in his head.
“He gave you the prophecy.” She nodded. “Mari you cannot…”
“Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do!”
“I will warn you that going down this path, reading into this prophecy… it could destroy you.”
“It will end the war?”
“Yes.”
“Then that is all that matters is it not? That is why this organization exists isn’t it?” He nodded slowly but the look on his face told her there was much he could tell her not only about the organization but about herself. “Then we will figure this out without your help.”
“There is nothing I can do to change your mind is there?”
“The Fourteen were placed on this earth to end this war, to destroy Lucifer’s presence in our realm. You knew about this prophecy, knew it had something to do with myself and Nyght…you drug us down to your level by keeping it from us.” She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, she needed to stay calm for this conversation, needed to keep her emotions in check.
“I had my reasons.”
“And whatever they were they were pointless were they not? We still discovered it, Paranus himself gave it to me and whatever dark secrets you are keeping from me I will find out but I have to ask if you will still be able to live with yourself when I find out how much you have kept from me?” He didn’t say anything only let out a sigh. “Why don’t you think about that while we are gone and maybe when we get back you can talk to me like a civilized person.” She turned then and started up the stairs.
“Marisol!” She stopped but didn’t turn back to him. He said everything else behind her back why should this be any different? “I am sorry about the way things have come to light but I will not apologize for trying to protect you.”
“If you were truly sorry you would realize your protection is what’s been hurting me all along.” With that, she walked away from him leaving him standing in that corridor watching her torchlight as it disappeared up the steps and out of sight. She was right he had hurt her but everything he had done, every lie he had told her, and her team had been for their own good hadn’t it?
There hadn’t been a door to the roof as Alto had said there would be, instead she had to crawl out the tiniest window ever built, destroying an old birds nest in the process, to get to the roof where she let the wind carry her down to the grounds outside of headquarters. She stood there for a long time just staring at the building wondering if Karter would tell her anything when she returned. If she returned. She didn’t know how to handle him anymore, he said he was protecting her but she saw that doubt in his eyes. That moment where he had second-guessed himself and his actions with her. She shook her head at the memories that had come back to her of when she would stay here as a child playing with Ella and sometimes even Karter, back before her world got pulled out from under her.
As she made her way to the town north of headquarters those memories pulled at her mind more and more. How much about herself didn’t she know? Had Karter known about this prophecy when she was a little girl? Had her father known? And what about her uncle? Marinique hadn’t said more than two words to her since he had found out about it. Was there something he was lying to her about too?
She shook her head both to clear it and to flip her soaking hair from her face. She could have used Marclay and her abilities to stay dry during her entire walk but it just seemed pointless. Maybe the rain would wash away some of the dread she had about their journey, maybe it would cleanse her mind of all the doubts and apprehensions she had about everyone around her. Maybe she would just show up to the town inn looking like a drowned rat. Of all the possibilities she shook her head at the idea of a cleansing rain, the only thing that was going to cleanse her mind was answers and she didn’t think she would get any of those until after they returned.
Twenty-four
“What’s bothering you?” Mari was sitting on the chair in the corner of her and Nyght’s rented room at the town Inn. Marinique had started to voice an objection to the two sharing the room but quieted quickly when she had pulled one of his knives out of the loops on her belt where she had been keeping them ever since he threw them at Nyght. She had changed into dry clothes when she got there and was just sitting in an overstuffed chair in the corner staring out the window at the rain as she dried her hair with a towel.
“I ran into Karter on my way out of headquarters.” He had been lying on the bed staring at his journal but at her words sat up and focused on her.
“What did he say?”
“What everyone keeps saying, that he lied to me to protect me.” She let the towel fall into her lap as she dropped her hands. “I don’t understand… why does everyone feel the need to protect me? Were my parents some kind of mass mu
rderers? Did they do something so unforgivable that everyone thinks I would fall apart if I knew what it was?” She picked at a fingernail for a second as Nyght thought over her questions. She was completely right in asking them but he knew he couldn’t give her any answers. “I know it’s stupid and maybe even selfish but I just wish people would hurt my feelings and let me get upset. I just don’t want anyone protecting me anymore.” Oh boy. She was not going to like what he had done then.
“Not even me?” Her gaze lifted to his with a small smile.
“That’s different and you know it but…”
“What but?”
“I asked you to make me a promise when I was still in training, do you remember?” He was nodding his head before she even finished the question.
“I also remember asking you not to make me promise something I wouldn’t make you promise in return.”
“Still, if I mess up I don’t want you to risk your life to save me.”
“Would you risk your life for mine?” She nodded. “Then don’t ask me not to do something you would do.” She sighed knowing he made perfect sense but at the same time wondered if maybe she was being a self-martyr. Was she trying to take on too much on her own not letting everyone in on her thoughts or was she letting everyone know too much about what she worried about and needed to woman up and stop whining? “While we’re on the subject of protection… well, sort of on the subject…” He was avoiding her gaze telling her immediately she may not like what he was about to say.
“What did you do?”
“It’s nothing bad, at least I don’t think it is.”
“Don’t think what is? Nyght…”
“I placed a call earlier, I thought we might need the backup.” She narrowed her eyes on him going through a mental list of anyone he could have called. She only came up with two names one of which was Bart whom she knew would never leave the east district and would be no help to them anyways but the second was…
