by S. J. West
Uprising
The Alternate Earth Series
Book Two
By
S.J. West
List of Watcher Books in the Watcher Series
The Watchers Trilogy
Cursed
Blessed
Forgiven
The Watcher Chronicles
Broken
Kindred
Oblivion
Ascension
Caylin’s Story
Timeless
Devoted
Aiden’s Story (A Bonus Novel)
The Redemption Series
Malcolm
Anna
Lucifer
Redemption
The Alternate Earth Series (A Jess and Mason Bonus Adventure)
Cataclysm
Uprising
Judgment (2015)
Other Books by S.J. West
The Harvest of Light Trilogy
Harvester
Hope
Dawn
The Vankara Saga
Vankara
Dragon Alliance
War of Atonement (Fall 2015)
©2015 S.J. West. All Rights Reserved.
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?
Revelation 13:4
CHAPTER ONE
Most of us go through life thinking we know what will happen next. From birth, our lives are set on a course similar to everyone else’s. We grow up, go to school, fall in love, get married, have children, and depart from the living world, hoping we made a difference somewhere in between; whether or not we actually do leave the world better off than when we entered it isn’t always evident while we’re still alive. The reverberations of our actions can be felt long after our passing. If we’re lucky, we get to leave behind a legacy that our children can be proud of. As I watch the end of the newscast showing us the effect of opening the fourth seal, I have to wonder if we will be able to leave alternate Earth better off than when we arrived, or if our presence will only be a ripple in the timeline of this strange reality. Can we truly save this world, or were we doomed to fail even before we arrived?
After the broadcast ends, worry and fear join those gathered in the room like physical entities. Seeing how upset people are becoming, Brand instantly takes command of the situation before it has a chance to bloom into all-out chaos.
As he stands in front of everyone, he raises his hands, urging the humans present to settle down.
“Please, everyone, there’s no reason for you to panic,” Brand says, his voice a much-needed calm in the face of growing hysteria. “We’ve been through a lot during the past few years. This is just one more thing that we’ll have to overcome. Allowing your fear to take control won’t do us any good.”
“What are we supposed to do, Brand?” a man in the crowd asks. “What’s going on?”
“I realize most of you are frightened, but you need to try to remain calm. Give us some time to come up with a plan to deal with the situation. For the time being, everyone needs to stay inside the castle until we can assess this new threat and find a way to deal with it. Don’t worry. You’re perfectly safe here.”
Brand sounds so sure, even I almost believe him.
“What exactly are we going to do?” I ask Mason in a low voice, not wanting those around us to overhear our conversation. “There has to be a way to stop what’s happening.”
“I’m not sure there’s much we can do, Jess” Mason admits, looking troubled by the new circumstances we find ourselves in.
“If we can’t stop the birds, maybe we can help the people they’re infecting,” I suggest. “Rafe might be able to heal them.”
“Even if he can,” Mason begins to reason, “we’re talking about thousands, if not millions, of people around the world who could become ill, especially if it ends up being easily transmittable. Rafe’s a miracle-worker, but I don’t think even he can heal that many people.”
“Then we’re missing something,” I say, feeling frustrated. “If it’s true that we can’t stop the princes from opening the seals, then there has to be something we can do to minimize the consequences. There’s a solution. We’re just not seeing it.”
“So,” Brand says as he joins Mason and me, “I’m kind of hoping the two of you have come up with a brilliant plan to deal with this new situation.”
“Not yet,” Mason says with a heavy sigh. “But let’s keep that between us for the time being. The people here need to believe we know the best way to keep them protected. Otherwise, they’ll just let their fear get the best of them.”
“Agreed,” Brand replies. “Right now, they need to feel safe. I’m going to make the rounds and check to see if everyone has what they need while we try to come up with a course of action.”
“When you finish, we need to talk about Ravan,” I tell Brand meaningfully.
Mason is the only one who knows what Ravan told me about her true identity. The sooner everyone else knows the better.
Was she telling me the truth? I have no reason to assume she was lying. Then again, she may have just said it to throw me off-guard, which she did. Yet, why would she lie about being the real Lilith? Other than distracting me during our fight, what advantage would that give her? If anything, you would think information so important would be more valuable kept as a secret.
While Brand walks off to care for his group, the friends we brought with us to this Earth gather around. Mason and I take them to the library so we can all talk privately. I tell them what I learned about Ravan Draeke.
“She’s Lilith?” Malcolm asks in confusion. “How has this Earth’s version of her survived for this long?”
“Like I told Jess,” Mason says, “I think Faust must be playing a part in her longevity. We know he’s close to her. We saw him when Ravan announced her engagement to Gabriel. His form of magic is the only possible way for her to have lived this long.”
“She looks different,” Malcolm comments dryly. “Or maybe the one God created here simply looks different from the one we knew in the Origin.”
“Who looks different?” Brand questions, joining our conversation.
“Lilith,” I answer, retelling Brand what I know about Ravan.
“That doesn’t seem possible,” Brand says, looking confused. “We did a thorough background check of Ravan when she came to power. We have pictures of her as a child all the way up to the present.”
“Reincarnation?” I ask, attempting to come up with a plausible explanation. “Is that even a real thing?”
“It’s been known to occur on occasion,” Mason answers. “But I don’t think that’s likely in this case. She knows who she is. People who go through reincarnation have no lasting memory of who they once were, unless Faust or Lucian retells her every time she’s old enough to understand. I don’t see either of them having the patience for such a thing, though.”
“What do you know about Ravan’s mother?” I ask Brand. “Is she someone we can talk to?”
“No. She died about a year after the Tear appeared.”
“How did she die?” I ask.
“In a car accident.”
I involuntarily feel my left eyebrow arch at the answer. “Seems a little convenient, don’t you think? One of the few people who can tell us the truth accidentally dies not long after the Watchers take control.”
“You said you did a background check,” Mason says to Brand. “How far back into her family tree did you go?”
“We only looked at Ravan and her mother,” Brand tells us. “Do you think I should have Joshua go back eve
n further?”
“Yes, and have him look for anything out of the ordinary,” Mason replies. “Maybe we can find a clue that will tell us something important.”
“Ok, I’ll get him on it as soon as possible.”
“So,” Chandler chimes in, “what are we going to do about these birds that are attacking people?”
“I don’t know,” I admit. “Does anyone have a suggestion?”
I can tell my friends are trying to think of some way to combat the threat the birds present, but a solution to the problem doesn’t seem to be readily available to anyone.
“Maybe I can heal the people who are infected,” Rafe finally suggests.
“We’ve thought about trying that,” I tell him. “It might help a few people, but there’s no way you can heal everyone.”
“A few is better than none,” Rafe points out. “I would at least like to try, Jess.”
“All right,” I say almost reluctantly. I want to help the infected, but not at the expense of one of my closest friends. “But I also think we need to come up with a way to directly combat the birds. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
“Could we shoot them out of the sky?” Chandler suggests.
“I’m sure we could kill a few that way, but you saw how large those flocks can get. The one on TV was as big as a cruise ship! Shooting them would be like throwing sand in the ocean, trying to fill it up. We need something bigger, more lethal.”
“What about me, Jess?” Leah asks softly. “Maybe my fire can kill them.”
“No,” I immediately reply, without even giving myself time to thoroughly consider Leah’s suggestion.
“Jess,” Zack says to me, almost like a chastisement. “I don’t think you should dismiss Leah’s idea so readily.”
I know Zack’s right, but placing any of my friends in danger goes against my grain.
“I know you want to protect us,” Leah tells me understandingly, “and I appreciate that, Jess, but we were all brought here for a reason. You need to accept that fact and let us help when and where we can.”
“She’s right,” Mason tells me. “We need to use everything at our disposal to try to counteract what’s happening.”
“We don’t know that Leah’s fire will destroy them,” I say, sounding completely reasonable to my own ears while I attempt to keep Leah safe. “What if they’re zombie birds or something? We don’t really know that much about them. They might not be that easy to kill.”
“At least let me try,” Leah practically begs, “unless you can come up with a better idea?”
I stand there silently for a solid minute, but can’t think of a better solution.
“Fine,” I finally say. “We can try it, but I’m coming with you. There’s no way I’m going to let you face them alone.”
Leah smiles. “Of course you’re coming. You’re our anchor, Jess. We’re all better when we’re with you.”
Leah’s earnest statement is something my friends have said to me before. They all believe that I am the heart of our elite group of vessels. To me, they are the pillars keeping me tethered to the real world. Their friendship and love grounds me while we deal with the unique circumstances we were all born into. They understand the strangeness of having another soul joined with their own. Our Archangels are a permanent part of us, even after death. No one but another vessel can comprehend that strange, yet wonderful, connection.
“Then maybe we can kill two birds with one stone,” Malcolm says.
I just look at him.
Malcolm smiles. “Sorry, someone had to say it. But, seriously, wherever we go to find Rafe some victims to heal, there’s bound to be some birds around, too.”
“Anyone have a suggestion as to where we should go first?”
“I think we need to stay clear of any large cities for now,” Brand declares. “Considering the fact that everyone in the world knows what you and Mason look like, it would probably be best if we laid low in a smaller town on our first outing.”
“What about somewhere in China?” I suggest. “Jai Lin’s people might be more receptive to our help, since their loyalty lies with Jai Lin and not Ravan.”
“Let me get in touch with Daniel,” Brand says. “I need to make sure this won’t place Jai Lin in any unnecessary danger.”
“I don’t know her as well as you do,” I admit, “but if we can offer her a chance to save her people, I think she’ll take it, whether it places her in jeopardy or not.”
“I know you’re right,” Brand concedes, “but we should at least give her the opportunity to decline our offer of help.”
I nod, knowing Brand simply wants to protect Jai Lin as best he can, but we both know she isn’t going to deny her people a chance to escape what the opening of the fourth seal has unleashed. We still don’t know what the consequences of the birds’ attacks are yet. The only thing we do know is that it won’t be anything pleasant.
While Brand is busy contacting Daniel, I ask Leah and Rafe to put their white leather suits back on so they can become invisible during our outing, if need be. Before they even return from getting dressed and retrieving their talismans, Brand informs us that a meeting has been set up with the Empress of China.
“Daniel took Jai Lin to a temple in the Laojun Mountains when the bird attacks first began,” Brand informs us. “He thought she would be safer there than in Beijing.”
“From the way you just said that,” I say, “it sounds like she isn’t any safer at the temple.”
“Jai Lin isn’t infected,” Brand is quick to reassure us, “but some of the monks at the temple are. Their misfortune is horrible, of course, but at least it provides Rafe an easy opportunity to see if he can heal the infected. Unfortunately, the temple is somewhere I’ve never been to myself. If everyone is ready, I can have Daniel come here now and take us there to meet with her.”
“The sooner the better,” I say.
“Brand!” Joshua calls out as he approaches us. “I found something you need to see.”
“What is it, Joshua?” Brand asks, taking two sheets of paper from this world’s version of Josh.
“It’s Ravan’s family history. I feel kind of stupid for not investigating it earlier,” Joshua says with a grimace.
“What did you find out?” I ask, interested in learning everything I can about Ravan.
“For as far back as I can go through digital records,” Joshua says, “every mother in Ravan’s family has died because of some type of accident, that leaves the body either unrecognizable or unrecoverable.”
“How far back were you able to go?” Mason asks.
“All the way back to the early 1900s.”
“That can’t be a coincidence,” Brand says, looking at the names of the mothers who perished.
“I still don’t understand,” I say. “What’s the connection between the deaths of the mothers and Ravan’s immortality?”
“It’s hard to say,” Brand replies. “I could come up with some random guesses, but I doubt any of them would be correct. The djinn have always been secretive about their powers. If Faust is, in fact, responsible for Ravan’s immortality, he’s probably using the deaths of the mothers in some way. We would really need to speak with another djinn to understand what’s being done.”
“Speaking of which,” Malcolm says, “has Slade found Horace yet?”
“No, not yet,” Brand replies, “but the last time I spoke with him he said he had a lead. We just need to be patient a little while longer. I’m confident Slade will find Horace. He’s never failed on any mission I’ve given him.”
My eyes are drawn to the head of the stairs when I see Leah and Rafe walking down them, each carrying their respective staffs.
“Would you mind getting my sword for me?” I ask Mason.
After he phases to our room, I notice that Joshua seems to have his eyes glued to Leah as she makes her descent. In a way, I feel sorry for him. He had his chance with my little sister when she
lived in this reality, and he blew it. However, I believe Leah was always meant to be with our Josh. She was never supposed to be a part of this world. If her mother hadn’t wanted to escape her existence on our Earth so badly, Leah never would have known this alternate Earth existed. Yet, if her mother hadn’t made such a monumental decision, Mason and I never would have come here. Without our knowledge of this world, we wouldn’t have known we were needed here to help Brand and the others; not that things were exactly going our way. If anything, I felt like we were just keeping our heads above a rising tide of badness.
I had to keep believing that things would turn around for us soon. Otherwise, I would lose hope, and that was never a good thing.
Daniel phases in a few feet away from us. His expression is a troubled one as he walks over to join us.
“How is Jai Lin?” I ask Daniel, hoping that his grim expression isn’t because something has happened to the Empress of China.
“Fine for now,” Daniel answers, not sounding hopeful that he will be able to keep her that way. “I hope you and your friends can help us. As things stand now, our situation is looking bleak. We keep getting reports of bird attacks. It’s been estimated that over one hundred thousand people have already been infected in China.”
“So many already?” I ask, floored by the number.
“Yes,” Daniel replies, looking even paler after saying the number of his compatriots who have already fallen victim to the attacks. “I pray that at least one of your plans works, if not both.”
“Then let’s go,” I say.
“Wait!”
I turn to see Nina walking up to us.
“I want to go with you,” she says, unable to stop herself from glancing in Rafe’s direction. Without her having to say it, I know her reason for going is to help keep him safe.
“The more the merrier,” I say, wanting her to know that she’s welcome to join us.
“Good luck,” Joshua says as we all link hands so Daniel can phase us to the temple in the Loajun Mountains. “Be careful,” he says more pointedly to Leah.
