“No, I told you the truth. I saw Felipe making love to Zaybeth. I do not understand. It cannot be. I saw them!” Lilith said on the verge of tears. She touched her stomach.
“Under the circumstances, Lilith, perhaps you should reconsider and remove the curse,” Asira said.
“Never!” she lashed out. “Father Saturn is the God of Judgment, is HE not?” she said, turning and facing the Daughters of Saturn.
“HE is,” Asira said.
“Father Saturn believed my husband sinned against me, otherwise HE would not have passed judgment and punished him. It’s not my fault Felipe wasn’t man enough to consummate his relationship with his redheaded harlot. The curse will be fulfilled!” Lilith’s eyes darkened “Zaybeth and Felipe will be punished.”
“So be it. You may proceed with the ritual,” Isis said.
“Isis, I implore you, do not allow this,” Obadiah said, kneeling. “Zaybeth is innocent.”
“Obadiah, I appreciate your concern, but Zaybeth must fulfill the curse and destroy the lamsivetalak. However, if you do not wish to participate in the ritual, you may leave and return tomorrow at Saturn’s appointed hour.”
“But Isis—”
“I can assure you, Zaybeth will not be harmed,” Isis said.
“May I bless Zaybeth before I leave?” Obadiah asked.
“You may,” Isis said.
Lilith carefully observed Obadiah as he walked to the altar and whispered something in Zaybeth’s ear.
“Obadiah, what are you saying to Zaybeth?” Lilith asked.
The Chief Elder walked silently past Lilith, turning and bowing before leaving the temple.
* * *
Obadiah stood outside the temple. He wasn’t sure what to make of his suspicions. He knew Ely had fathered an illegitimate child by a Spanish noblewoman in Madrid, some eighteen years ago and Zaybeth had a strong resemblance to his son.
“Could Zaybeth be my granddaughter?” he whispered to himself.
He looked back at the temple. “Rest easy my child, you are one of us. One day, Saturn will claim you as HIS.”
* * *
Isis, Dusana, and Asira took flight and hovered just above the altar.
“Salzol ShBThAI! Salzol ShBThA! Salzol ShBThAI!” (Hail Saturn! Hail Saturn! Hail Saturn!) the temple elders chanted.
Drums and lyre kept time as the Daughters of Saturn chanted in unison.
“O, Black Sun, god of all that is cold and black, we bow before your black onyx altar. We are the Old Ones, your daughters who speak your praise. God of Chaos, come to your daughters. We turn our eyes toward you, waiting with open mouths, and open hearts.”
Zaybeth regained consciousness. She let out a horrific scream at the sight of the Daughters of Saturn hovering above her.
“We offer you thanks, Father Saturn. Great is thy power,” Lilith prayed. “For Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom, the abomination of the children of Ammon, I take thy sacred Athame of Saturn,” Lilith said as a jeweled ceremonial athame appeared in her right hand. The blade covered with a black, thick elixir.
Lilith stripped Zaybeth of her tattered, charred gown. Taking the athame, she proceeded to carve sacred markings into Zaybeth’s stomach.
Zaybeth screamed in pain before going unconscious.
“I conjure thee, Father Saturn. Send Zaybeth to the Netherworld. Only allow her to come back to this world at the appointed time when I, your Elidaelohim, sayeth,” Lilith prayed.
The Daughters of Saturn spoke together.
“We call upon you Lord Saturn, Great God. Come to us! Come to your daughters. Come to us! Come to us!”
Isis lifted her eyes toward the hexagon skylight and chanted in Solsatihel.
“Hail Saturn draped in black. God of all that is darkness, we are the Old Ones, who speak your praise. Come, come to us!”
Dark clouds in the sky began to swirl as high winds picked up. The clattering noise of lightning rolled through the sky, bringing heavy rains, then bursts of bright sunlight, nightfall, and then daylight again.
“Salzol ShBThAI! Salzol ShBThAI! Salzol ShBThAI!” (Hail Saturn! Hail Saturn! Hail Saturn!) The Daughters of Saturn chanted. “From the south we pray. We offer you thanks, Father Saturn.”
“Great is thy power,” Lilith said.
Gusty winds swept through the sanctuary. An unearthly inhalation and exhalation reverberated throughout the temple. A thick fog rolled in and engulfed Zaybeth’s body. Sweeping wings beat, followed by a deafening pounding echoed on the temple walls. Unearthly footsteps shook the sanctuary floor like an earthquake. Wild winds continued to blow. An invisible specter was moving throughout the shrine. Lilith took flight and joined the Daughters of Saturn, locking hands. They looked up into the skylight as a hexagon shaped vortex appeared, emitting rays of golden light that spilled below onto the altar where Zaybeth lay unconscious.
From out of the gusty winds a deep, haunting, inhuman male voice spoke.
“Ah’sezul!” (Begone!)
The voice resounded through the sanctuary. Zaybeth’s body lifted off the altar, snapping the chains, and vanished in a whirlwind of honey-colored light.
The once wild winds that whooshed through the shrine ceased. The demonic sounds fell silent. And the afternoon sunlight returned to the blue skies.
* * *
Zaybeth screamed until her voice broke, drowned out by the echoes of the Daughters of Saturn chanting and the demon’s roar beating inside her head, which felt as though it was going to split in two. The eerie chanting faded. Her eyes opened wide, fractions of golden rays of light flashed fast, followed by utter blackness. A sense of panic rushed over Zaybeth.
Is this Heaven or Hell?
The faces of Lilith, the temple elders, and the Daughters of Saturn began to fade. A strange darkness folded in all around her. Zaybeth’s eyes fluttered back in her head. Her body convulsed before it fell into a deep unnatural sleep. Betwixt and between, Zaybeth’s body and soul lay intact, imprisoned in suspended animation somewhere between this world and the underworld, waiting the day Lilith and the Daughters of Saturn would awaken her.
TELLING THE FUTURE
Felipe materialized inside Diomira’s cave, naked and visibly shaken. He squeezed his eyes and prayed just one tear would drop. He desperately needed to mourn the death of his family. But no matter how hard Felipe squeezed his eyes, he could not shed a tear.
Diomira sat in the middle of the floor mediating.
“Felipe!” She rushed to his side.
“Oh, God,” he said, collapsing in Diomira’s arms. “My family perished before I could rescue them.”
“And Zaybeth?” she asked.
“I pulled her from the burning flames. But Lilith showed up, carrying some sort of amulet that caused me to lose my powers. Lilith spirited Zaybeth away! Diomira, please tell me where I can find Zaybeth,” he pleaded.
“Wait here.” Diomira walked into her sleeping quarters and pulled out her divination mirror.
From underneath bed, she grabbed one of Felipe’s shirts and a pair of breeches. She walked back to Felipe, handing him the clothing. As Felipe dressed, Diomira sat down on the earthen floor in front of him.
Diomira held the crude looking-mirror and chanted a few words before waving her hand over the mirror. The rich, green color faded.
“Come, sit and place your hand in mind,” she said.
The witch chanted. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, her body shook several times. The crude mirror began to turn black. Diomira opened her eyes with only the whites showing. “I see nothing but darkness,” she hissed in an inhuman voice.
“Is Zaybeth dead?”
Diomira took a deep breath as she came out of the trance. “Not exactly.”
“What does that mean? Where is she?” Felipe said, grabbing the witch shaking her violently. “Where’s Zaybeth?”
“Lilith’s powers are greater than I could have ever imagined.
She has sent your beloved to the Netherworld.”
“The Netherworld?” he asked with a puzzled look.
“A place of holding. Zaybeth is confined between worlds. Her soul has not passed to the underworld, but it no longer dwells on Earth. She’s in limbo. I could only catch glimpses of her in the future. She is dressed in odd clothing, surrounded by books. There were images and words coming from glowing boxes and she was riding in a strange horseless, metal carriage.”
“That makes no sense. You’re making this up!”
“I’m sorry, Felipe, but that is what I saw. In the future, you will find Zaybeth in a place of higher learning, surrounded by these strange objects.” Diomira stood. “Felipe, turn me into a vampiro. If you turn me, I can get the scrolls and find Zaybeth.”
“Turn you into a vampiro?” He stood up abruptly. “That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why you befriended me and was so willing to help me, so I could turn you into an immortal.”
“No,” she said shaking her head. “Felipe, that’s not why I befriended you...”
“Shut up. Just shut the hell up!”
“Felipe, I... I love you,” she stammered.
“You love me? Lilith put you up to this, didn’t she? You’re one of them aren’t you? You’re a Saturn worshiper! That explains how you got the cloak and why Gabriel helped us to escape from the temple that night. You’re good. You almost had me convinced.”
“Felipe, I’m telling you the truth. Lilith didn’t put me up to anything. I’m not one of them. I told you how I got the cloak. Felipe, please listen to me. I can help you, but I need the scrolls. If you turn me into an immortal, with my magick, I can break the curse and set you free. Please, Felipe, you must turn me. It’s the only way.”
Without warning, Felipe seized Diomira by her throat. “I’ll give you one last chance, bruja, where is Zaybeth?” With one hand Felipe raised Diomira in midair, her feet dangled off the ground.
“I don’t know, I swear!” she said in a half-strangled whisper, pawing at his hand.
“If you cannot tell me where Zaybeth is, then you are of no use to me!” The pupils of Felipe’s eyes turned black, the Eye of Saturn swirling in his pupils. Two large, sharp fangs emerged.
“Felipe, please, I’m your friend, I love—!”
Felipe’s fangs clamped down fast on the witch’s throat. As the warm, salty blood coated the insides of the creature’s mouth, he staggered, dropping the lifeless Diomira to the floor. Images of Zaybeth flooded his thoughts.
Felipe transformed back into his human form, Diomira’s blood still dripped from his mouth. Felipe’s head started to spin with vivid images of Zaybeth—her smile, soft lips, and her embrace.
The images of Zaybeth vanished only to be followed by vivid images of Diomira. Flashes of their tender love making, images of her picking herbs in the forest, visions of their narrow escape from the Temple of Saturn filled his mind’s eye.
“Oh, God, what have I done?”
He screamed in anguish, crumbling to his knees, reaching for Diomira’s body. He cradled her body in his arms, kissing her. “Diomira, forgive me. Forgive me.”
RANSACKED
General Ramírez spotted a scrawny boy sitting on the patio of the de Hayos estate, keeping watch just as soon as he and his soldiers rode through the front gates.
The boy scrambled to his feet, ringing the bell, sounding the alarm.
“Soldiers are coming!”
Looters dispersed everywhere, breaking windows and jumping through the broken glass. Some ran out of the front door, running through the garden, jumping over the well-manicured hedges, with priceless heirlooms, jewelry, and silverware tucked underneath their arms.
“You there! I order you to stop in the name of the Holy Office of the Church!” General Ramírez yelled. “Captain Martinez, get your men and go after them. I want everything returned and every thief arrested.”
Captain Martinez and a group of his soldiers took off after the looters on horseback. The horses trampled through Francisca’s precious garden, knocking over fragile statues and destroying her prize-winning flowers, while in hot pursuit.
* * *
General Ramírez and his soldiers dismounted their horses, each taking torches and large burlap sacks into the already ransacked manor.
“Remember men, we were sent here by the Holy Order of the Church, anyone caught stealing from the Church will be put to death! Once we are finished, we will burn this devil’s lair to the ground.”
The soldiers confiscated everything of value and destroying anything that was not valuable. Making their way upstairs, the soldiers found their way to Tomás and Francisca’s bedroom. A soldier took a pick axe and started hacking away at the massive painting of the de Hayos’ family portrait. The colossal painting fell from its mounting, crashing to the floor. Satisfied, the soldier looked around the room for more things to destroy, when his fingers accidentally hit the groves in the wall, opening it. The man’s eyes widened.
“General Ramírez,” a soldier said, rushing into the hall. “Come quick, I think we found something.”
The general lit a torch and walked down three crudely-hewn, stone stairs leading to a narrow corridor. His men followed closely behind him. They reached the end of the corridor and found a black metal door and what appeared to be a vault room.
“Knock down the door!” the general ordered.
* * *
Felipe vanished from the cave in the Pyrenees Mountains, returning to the one place where he felt safe, his family’s estate. He prayed he was having a terrible nightmare and he would find his family and Zaybeth sleeping safe and sound in their beds. He materialized in the great hall, where he saw scores of soldiers ransacking the manor, smashing vases, breaking furniture.
Felipe took a step forward to stop the men, when his foot stepped on something. He moved his foot and looked down. It was his mother’s wedding ring. Startled by what sounded like a battering ram, Felipe quickly scooped up the ring and placed it in his pocket. He heard a loud crash echoing in the walls. Felipe vanished.
* * *
General Ramírez went inside the vault. The room was stacked high with gold bricks, gold and silver coins, priceless jewels, and works of art.
“Will you look at this? Ha! We have just found the treasure of all treasures. The inquisitor and the Church will be overjoyed. We will all get promotions,” the general said.
Felipe appeared in front of the general in his human form.
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Felipe said in a low growl.
General Ramírez pulled his sword from its scabbard.
“Die, vampiro,” he sneered.
The general gazed into Felipe’s eyes and found himself locked in a powerful hypnotic stare. He could feel the vampire taking control of his mind.
“Kill your soldiers. Kill them all!” Thoughts that were not his own reverberated in his mind.
Now under Felipe’s mind control, General Ramírez turned his sword on his men and charged out of the vault hacking up his soldiers until they were all dead.
* * *
Felipe gave a toothy grin.
“Excellent, wait here until I command you.”
“Yes, Master,” General Ramírez said, emotionless.
Felipe vanished, appearing at the top of the stairs. He projected his thoughts to the soldiers until they were completely hypnotized. The soldiers bowed and obeyed Felipe’s command, placing their full burlap knapsacks on the floor and taking out their swords, running each other through. Felipe then vanished and appeared in each room of the manor, commanding soldiers to kill one another.
* * *
Captain Martinez and his soldiers rushed into the great hall, losing their balance on something slippery. The captain looked down at his feet. He and his men were standing in a stream of blood. The captain’s eyes trailed the blood to scores of dead soldier’s bodies, littering the hall leading into the next room. Some of the bodies had swords sticking out of
their backs, while others were piled on top of each other, with gaping wounds still oozing blood.
“Dear merciful God, what happened?” the captain said, pulling out his sword. “Whoever did this shall burn! You men spread out and search the house!”
* * *
Felipe appeared in his human form, levitating above the captain. His eyes blood-red as he placed Captain Martinez and his soldier’s in a deep hypnotic trance. The soldier’s eyes instantly glazed over, completely hypnotized.
The captain lowered his sword and placed it back in its scabbard. “Master, we are at your service,” he said, bowing.
Felipe looked toward the stairwell and projected his thoughts, commanding General Ramírez to join Captain Martinez in the great hall. The spellbound General responded to the telepathic voice and joined Captain Martinez in the great hall.
“Captain, you and your men follow General Ramírez to my family’s vault. Fill your sacks and come with me,” Felipe said in a deep, inhuman growl.
The men obeyed Felipe’s orders without question and followed Felipe to the northernmost edge of the property, which ran alongside the River Tajo—to Felipe’s private hideaway. They reached what was once a lush, grove of dense trees. Felipe turned and spoke.
“Captain, command your men to build five coffins and dig five graves. You’ll find all the wood and tools you will need in the shed behind the stables. If you run out of wood, you may chop down these trees as needed. Inside the manor, in the great hall, there are three portraits, one of my father, brother, and mother. Make sure they are wrapped, crated, and buried along with my family’s treasure. Have everything ready by dawn.”
“Yes, Master,” Captain Martinez said, giving Felipe a zombie-like reply.
“Excellent. Once your soldiers have finished their tasks, kill them, and then kill yourself.”
“Yes, Master.”
Felipe turned his attention to General Ramírez. “I want you and four of your soldiers to go into the city and recover my family’s remains. Bring them here for a proper burial. If anyone should question you, tell them the Holy Order of the Church has commanded you take the bodies.”
Eye of Saturn (The Daughters of Saturn Book 1) Page 29
