by Shéa MacLeod
"We need to figure out what it is both Alister and the Queen want. Wait, duh." I practically smacked myself in the forehead. "We know what they want. They were after the book and they got it. But why? What do they want with it?" Other than to control me and whatever I was supposed to be able to do as the Key of Atlantis. I mean, there had to be a reason, some end game.
"I wish I knew," Jack said. "But like I told you before, we never knew what was in the book."
I thought it over as I finished off the last of my tagine and flat bread. "Maybe they figured out how to translate it?"
"How? Alister doesn't speak or read ancient Atlantean. No one does."
"Darroch can. He figured out the ancient prophecy." I didn't bother to remind Jack the prophecy was supposedly about me.
Jack shook his head as he stood up, throwing a wad of green and red euros on the table. "Not well enough, and not without help from your amulet. Darroch probably got most of his knowledge from the dreams and from gossip. Now that you wear the amulet, he's cut off from the dreams."
I followed him out the door onto the busy street. All around me, people shouted in French and other exotic languages I didn't recognize. Dark eyes stared at me from every direction, some with appreciation and some with suspicion. This part of Paris was heavily North African, and I stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. Ignoring the stares, I focused on Jack and our conversation.
"Then it has to be the Queen, right?" Things were clicking for me now. "After all, the Sidhe were still here in this realm when the Atlanteans arrived. Maybe they learned enough before they crossed to the Other World to translate the book."
Jack frowned as he thought it over. "It's possible." He didn't sound convinced.
"It's more than possible," I insisted. "It totally makes sense. There's something in that book both Alister and the Fairy Queen want so much they're working together. Alister to obtain the book, and Morgana to translate."
"But you're forgetting one thing."
I glanced up at him. "What's that?"
"There's no way they could have known what was in the book prior to stealing it. How would they know it would be useful?"
"Maybe you're right," I admitted. "Or maybe they did know somehow. After all, Darroch found out about the amulet. Maybe there was more he didn't tell us." In fact, it was damn likely. "Or maybe the Sidhe knew about it from back in the day."
"It doesn't matter either way. This is all speculation." There was anger in Jack's tone, though his face bore its usual stoic expression. "For whatever reason, they have the book now, and we have no idea where they are."
"True," I admitted. "But we have a secret weapon."
"What's that?" Another raised eyebrow.
"Eddie. Let's head back to the hotel. I feel the need to Skype."
Chapter 28
Eddie's cherubic face came into view on my laptop screen, or at least the bottom half of his face did. I could count his nose hairs.
"Uh, Eddie," I said, "I think you need to back away from the computer just a bit."
"Oh, dear. Just a moment."
I repressed a giggle as I settled against the headboard. Jack didn't even crack a smile. In fact, he looked downright sullen, lounging against the door of my hotel room. I turned back to the screen, determined to ignore his royal sulkiness.
Over the laptop speakers I heard a bit of shuffling, followed by a loud thunk. Finally, the whole of Eddie's face came into view, beaming from ear to ear. "How's this?"
"Much better." I didn't bother to tell him he didn't need to speak quite so loud. I just turned down the volume.
"Excellent." Eddie leaned back on his stool and I could see he was sitting at the counter of Majicks and Potions, his little New Age book and gift shop. He was wearing a fuchsia waistcoat over a mustard colored button-down shirt. It was an eye popping combination, to say the least. "I'm still trying to get used to this whole video chatting thing. It's so Star Trek." He practically beamed with excitement.
"How are you, Eddie? How's everything in Portland?"
"Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. It's raining, as usual. But not to worry, I'm packing for a steampunk cruise. Seven days of Caribbean sun, corsets, and bowler hats. Not to mention the food! But I digress. How is Paris? I remember a time back in the eighties... "
"Yeah, Paris is great," I interrupted. I so did not want to hear stories of Eddie in the eighties. My imagination was bad enough. "Really beautiful."
"Did you get a chance to visit Notre Dame? It really is a must-see. The stained glass and statuary are truly stunning."
"Uh, no. We haven't had time yet."
"Of course, of course. You're there on business." Eddie adjusted his little round spectacles. "I'm sure you didn't call just to chat about the wonders of the City of Lights. How can I help you?"
I gave him a quick run-down on Darroch's escape, soul vamps, Alister's involvement, and the theft of the mysterious book. "Frankly, we're at an impasse. We don't know what the book is for, and we've no idea where to find it. Alister and Darroch have gone completely off the grid, as far as we can tell."
"Hmmmm." Eddie pulled on his lower lip, his eyes taking on a faraway look. I was about to say something when he finally jarred himself out of whatever rabbit hole he'd fallen down. "Yes, yes. I think I recall something of this book."
"Really?" I turned my head slightly and shot Jack a glare. "Jack says nobody knew about it but the Templars and their allies."
"No, no. I'm sure there's something... " Eddie trailed off as he moved out of frame, leaving me staring at the blank wall. There was a lot of rustling off camera, followed by a heavy thump and some more muttering. Then Eddie reappeared, waving what looked like a cheap paperback novel from the sixties.
"Footprints of the Gods," he said, flipping through the pages. "I know some people think it's right up there with Ancient Astronaut theory, but we all know just how not crazy that is, don't we?" He waggled his eyebrows while giving me a meaningful look.
I knew he was referring to the fact that the ancient Atlanteans had come from another planet thousands of years ago, and their blood flowed in my veins. Not just in mine, either, but a lot of people's. Mainstream scientists could mock all they wanted. Some of the craziest theories about human ancestry weren't that far from the truth.
"How is that," I pointed to the paperback with its lurid orange lettering and classic flying saucer, "going to help us find the book we're looking for?"
"Find it?" Eddie peered at me through his little round spectacles. "Oh, no, it won't do that, but it might tell us what is so important about it, and how Alister Jones discovered it in the first place. And that, my dear Morgan, may help us discover where it is now."
I still couldn't see how a dusty old paperback from five decades ago was going to do that, but whatever. Eddie had a way of uncovering the most interesting bits of information from the most random places. I fidgeted a little as he slowly scanned a few pages. Jack stood unmoving against the closed door, carefully avoiding my gaze.
"Ah," Eddie exclaimed, "here it is. Let's see. Interesting."
"What is it, Eddie?" I prodded.
"Oh, yes, sorry. According to this, there were stories of a book found in the Holy Land."
"Let me guess," I said. "By the Templars."
"Why, yes." Eddie beamed at me before returning to the paperback.
When Jack first told me the story of discovering the cave under the Mount, he hadn't mentioned finding the book, along with the amulet and the dead Atlanteans. Granted, he had a way of leaving things out. Important things.
"Jack told me they found it with some bodies, and the Heart of Atlantis."
"The author is not so specific, but it says here the book was rumored to be made of a mysteriously indestructible material. The pages contained indecipherable symbols. Some people believed they were a message from the gods themselves."
"Sounds like the right book. Any idea what this message said?"
Eddie frowned, flipping through a few mor
e pages. "The author naturally postulates the book was written by an ancient alien explorer. A journal, perhaps, of his adventures. Possibly information regarding his advanced civilization."
"Wow, he was right on the money," I said dryly. We knew without a doubt the book was Atlantean. We just didn't know what was in it, and Eddie's little paperback wasn't helping.
"He also speculates the book was the treasure the Templars took back with them to France from the Holy Land."
I sighed. "Part of it, anyway."
"Indeed." Eddie nodded. "He also claims they kept the book carefully hidden in one of their secret locations, guarded night and day."
"That explains how Alister knew to start looking in Templar chapels. No doubt it was his best lead." And it had proved dead on. "How the hell did some fringe scientist from way back when figure all this stuff out?"
Eddie glanced up from the book. "Secrets sometimes have a way of slipping out no matter how carefully they are guarded."
"So, nothing more on the book itself, huh?"
"Unfortunately not. My guess," Eddie said, putting aside the paperback, "is the book is much more than a simple diary."
"No shit."
He ignored my language. "Since Darroch and Jones want it so badly, it must contain something they want."
I refrained from pointing out he was stating the obvious. "Right. And what they want is the power of the amulet. But it's too late. It's already chosen me." Not that I was entirely happy about it, but at least it was staying out of Alister's clutches. If only I could figure out his end game. I mean, besides the power grab.
"Is it? Too late, I mean." Eddie took off his glasses, polished them with a hot pink handkerchief, and shoved them back on his face. "The amulet chose you, certainly. But if that were the end of it, why would Alister be trying so very hard to get his hands on it?"
Eddie made a good point, and a very uncomfortable one. "You think there is a way he can still get his hands on the power?"
"Yes. Yes, I do. And I also believe this book he's taken is the key to doing just that."
"Freaking fantastic."
* * *
"How does this help us?" Jack snapped after I'd signed off with Eddie. "We already know whatever is in the book is important. What we need to know is where it is and how to get it back."
"We know where it is," I snarled back, at my wit's end with his bad attitude. "Alister has it."
"We don't know that. We're guessing. And we'd already guessed it before we talked to Eddie. We're no closer to understanding it than we were before. We still don't know where Alister is, and we still don't know what the book says. Only the rambling suppositions of some crazy old man."
If I hadn't already been in full blown pissed-off mode, that snark against Eddie would have done it. Without another word, I grabbed my jacket and stormed out of the hotel room, leaving Jack behind yelling about immaturity or some bullshit. Frankly, I didn't give a damn. Eddie had done his best. Maybe we didn't know anything more than what we'd already guessed, other than where Alister had probably gotten his information on the book. But Eddie's speculations confirmed my own, and it was the best we could do for now.
I took the stairs, needing the exercise. Also, because I had no intention of getting on the tiny little excuse for an elevator in our Parisian hotel. I'd rather not deal with a full blown panic attack from claustrophobia.
The lobby was overcrowded with people checking in and out, and hotel employees running to and fro. Piles of luggage created an obstacle course to the front door. Swinging on my jacket, I strode toward the glass doors, ignoring the glares from tourists who clearly thought my single-minded bid for freedom was rude in the extreme. Frankly, I thought it was rude they weren't watching where they were going.
The fresh air hit me, and I filled my lungs, dragging in the scents of Paris in the springtime. Actually, it didn't smell that much different from Portland unless one counted the boulangerie a few doors down. Whatever they were baking smelled like nirvana.
Ignoring the siren's song of baked goods, I crossed the street and headed roughly in the direction of the River Seine. It was getting on toward sunset and the weather was decent; the wide walkways on either side of the river thick with Parisians and tourists all taking in the evening air.
I leaned against the railing of the Pont Saint-Louis, staring down at the river as it flowed beneath me, trying to calm my mind. For the first time since we'd arrived in France, I allowed the focus on our mission to drop away and truly enjoyed the moment. I didn't know what it was about this place, but every time I visited Paris, at some point in the trip, I found my way to this exact spot. And every time I did, something about it would suck me into the poetry and beauty of the City of Lights. Everything else would melt away and I would just... be.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, curling my fingers around the cold metal railing. A cool breeze toyed with my hair. The murmur of something said in French caressed my ears. More than two thousand years of history, of life, of love sank into my bones.
Opening my eyes, I turned around so I could take in the gothic beauty of Notre Dame Cathedral. Softened by blooming trees and the blaze of the setting sun, the ancient church was like something out of a fairy tale.
I let my gaze roam over the passing humanity: a loving couple holding hands and whispering romantic things while stealing kisses; a family of four bickering about where to eat; a trio of Japanese girls giggling to each other while snapping photos of everything in sight. Let me rephrase: every cute boy in sight. An elderly man passed, sucking on a pipe walking his tiny dog.
I rubbed my temple as a sudden tightness clenched at my skull. And then I saw him on the other side of the Quai aux Fleurs. Just a shadow among other shadows, but his eyes glowed an eerie red as he stared directly at me. My fingers tightened on the railing behind me as my entire body froze. A soul-imbued vampire, here in Paris.
Our eyes locked, and he knew I'd seen him. Between one heartbeat and the next, he took off running, straight up the Quai du Marché-Neuf toward the Notre Dame Cathedral with me hot on his heels.
Chapter 29
The vampire moved with incredible speed. His feet flew over the paving stones in a dizzying blur, shoving gawking tourists out of his way. If his eyes hadn't already given away his nature, his attempt at escape would have. It wasn't the first time I'd seen a red-eyed vampire outside the city of Portland, and I wasn't about to let the bastard get away.
A woman screamed, tumbling to the ground as the vampire pushed her down before vanishing into the crowd. I would have stopped, but fortunately there were plenty of helping hands, and the woman appeared more rattled than hurt. Instead I shouted, "Which way?"
An older gentleman with a huge camera around his neck waved his hand. "That way. Get the bastard," he yelled in a thick Texas accent.
With a nod, I sped up, searching for my prey. Eventually, I caught sight of him again. I dashed after his retreating form, dodging through the gaps he'd made in the wall of humanity. Hopefully, most people would assume they'd seen two Olympic sprinters out on a practice run. The last thing anyone needed were rumors of vampires loose on the streets of Paris. Not that the locals would be too much in an uproar. In typical Parisian fashion, they'd just shrug and roll with it. It was the tourists who would be a problem.
The vamp sprinted across the street, and I darted after him. Unfortunately, the gap between us was widening. For all my hunter speed and strength, I was no match for him. Maybe he really had been an Olympic sprinter.
Reaching within, I grabbed hold of the Darkness that lived inside me. With barely a pause, it surged up and out. My vision tunneled down to a pinprick as the Darkness pulled strength from the heavy shadows surrounding the Cathedral. It pushed speed into my legs, breath into my lungs. A laugh spilled from my throat and all I could think was free at last. The world around me blurred as I picked up speed, my boots striking a staccato rhythm against the paving stones.
The vampire crossed the wide op
en square in front of the Cathedral. During the day, the area was packed with tourists, but now there were only a few stragglers huddled around the edges. They stared at the two of us as though they'd never seen a high-speed foot chase before. The vampire headed for one of the enormous front doors looming up behind the temporary chain link fence. Surely he knew the Cathedral would be closed at this time of evening?
Either he didn't know or didn't care. He rushed right up to the door, grabbed the handle, and gave it a jerk. It didn't move. He let out a string of cuss words that had even me flinching. Even though I didn't exactly believe in the Christian God, I sort of half-expected the vamp to get struck by lightening for cussing in front of a church.
The vampire glanced back at me, eyes widening as he realized how close I was. My lips curled into one of those scary smiles the Darkness enjoyed showing people it was hunting. Yep, at this point, the Darkness was pretty much in charge. I didn't bother fighting it. I had more important things to focus on.
For a moment, the vampire hesitated. Then, whirling to the right, he scurried around the corner of the hulking stone building and disappeared.
I snarled. Or rather, the Darkness snarled. "Oh, no, you don't."
I dashed around the building in time to see the vamp kick in a smaller side door. There was a sharp crack, accompanied by a spray of splinters, and then the vampire slipped inside.
A vampire hiding in a church. Talk about ironic.
I slowed down, much to the dismay of the Darkness, cautiously peering into the dimly lit interior. No telling where the vamp was or what he was planning, but the last thing I needed was him ripping my throat out because I wasn't paying attention.
The Darkness snarled again, impatient. Caution was definitely not in its nature.
"Shut up," I mumbled under my breath. Oh, gods I was talking to myself.
