by F. E. Heaton
She turned when she reached the top of the flight of steps and walked up the next set that led up onto the square. She glanced at the statues under the arch she passed through and then stepped out into the open again. There was a figure of a man on a horse in front of her and the spires of the pale fairytale-like building seemed to glow against the dark sky.
To her right, the church rose up and she scowled at the cross emblazoned on it. She hunched up and kept her eyes downcast while she walked across the empty square to the church. Heading down the side, she kicked open one of the smaller wooden doors and went in. She ducked when the thunder boomed overhead and listened to the rain falling heavily on the tiled roof. Heading into the centre of the building, she leaned against one of the wooden pews and pulled her top up. The incision was clean but she knew it went deep. The knife the woman had used had been at least six inches in length. Sighing, she held her amulet against the wound. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, waiting for the pain.
It wasn't as bad as she'd been expecting. It tingled a little but she couldn't see why Valentine and Venturi had made such a fuss over it. Concentrating on healing herself, she gasped when it began to burn with pain and took back what she'd thought. It did hurt. It hurt like Hell. Her free hand tightly gripped the pew and she clenched her jaw when the wound began to throb. She could almost feel her flesh knitting back together and it turned her stomach, making her head spin along with it.
The second the pain subsided, she removed her hand and lifted her shirt. She raised her brows when she looked at the smooth skin where the wound had been. There wasn't even a scar.
She ran her fingers lightly over her side, amazed at how easy it had been to fix herself. The last thing she needed were wounds slowing her down. It would have healed in a day or two, but during that time, she would have been in pain. It was better this way. She had the magic for a reason and she might as well make the most of it.
Looking around her, she ignored the flashes of lightning and the heavy thunder and searched for the door she had gone through in her vision. She spotted it at the side of the church on her left and walked along the narrow avenue between the pews to reach it.
Peering into the stairwell, she was stunned by how it looked exactly like she had seen it. She crept down the stone spiral steps, gripping onto the central column for dear life just as she had done in her vision. When she reached the bottom, she went straight to the metal door. She raised her hand, took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes on her target. The moment she released the magic, she dived behind the nearest tomb and covered her head. The sound of ripping metal still made her insides lurch. It was so close to a piercing cry or tormented scream that she couldn't stop herself from picturing all the vampires she'd slain at the battle in the Tenebrae's castle.
She scrambled to her feet when the dust settled and grabbed the unlit torch from the socket in the wall. Lighting it on one of the other torches, she carried it with her into the room. She set it into the holder on the wall and placed her hands on her hips, looking at the stone box.
It was time to discover the extent of her mother's legacy.
Pushing the heavy lid off, she removed the cloth wrapped book and took it into the other room. She placed it down on one of the tombs and inhaled a few times before finding the courage to unwrap it. Contained in this book were the spells her mother had used with the magic and Prophecy's heart told her that she needed them if she was going to survive the upcoming battle.
She might not know who the robed person was that she would be fighting, but she didn't need to in order to hone her craft and learn how to use her powers. Whoever they were, no matter how strong they turned out to be, she would use the spells to destroy them.
With trembling fingers, she unwrapped the book and stared at it. It was as large as any of the books she'd had to study in the library and at least twice as thick. There had to be over a thousand pages. How was she supposed to commit all of it to memory?
She ran her fingers over the dark grey cover. It was cold to the touch and decorated with a lighter pewter-coloured metal. There was an intricate design that looked exactly like the star on the back of her amulet. Her fingertips brushed the dust out of the indentations in the cover and she frowned at the marks. They didn't look like a part of the pattern. They were familiar for some reason. Was she supposed to know them? She searched her memories and it felt as though she should. There was something hazy in the back of her mind but she couldn't quite remember it and the harder she tried, the more it seemed to slip away.
Running her fingers along the edge of the cover, she went to open the book and found that she couldn't. She picked it up and struggled to prise apart the covers but they wouldn't budge. Her frown intensified. There wasn't anything holding them shut, so why wasn't the book opening? She turned it around in her hands, looking for something to press or something that would give her a clue as to how to open it.
After five minutes of searching, she placed the book down, folded her arms across her chest and scowled at it.
What use to her was a book that wouldn't open?
Her temper frayed.
This book was supposed to give her the power to save Valentine and the world. All it was giving her was a headache.
Picking it up, she threw it across the room, partly to relieve her growing frustration and partly in the hope that the impact would make it open. It hit the wall and fell to the floor. Crossing the room, she growled when she saw that the book was unscathed, its cover still shut tight.
She closed her eyes, flung her head back, and roared at the ceiling.
Taking a long, deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared at the book. There had to be a way of opening it. She picked it up and held it close to her chest. This wasn't the best place to dawdle though. She would go to the hotel near the train station where she'd got herself a room before she'd come to find the book. When she was safely tucked away in it, she could annoy herself by continuing her attempts to open the book.
She hurried up the steps to the main area of the church and looked up at the stained glass windows. It was still raining. She could hear each drop as it hit the roof and the walls. By the sounds of things, the weather was getting worse.
Heading back out into the night, she ran her eyes over the sky and came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to let up anytime soon. The storm was moving too slowly and she couldn't see an end to the heavy clouds and rain.
There was one good thing about the storm.
It would give her cover on her way to the hotel.
There was a lot of ground between her and her destination.
She got the feeling that she hadn't seen the last of the Nocens.
Chapter 10
He was definitely a Law Keeper and he was definitely a Vehemens.
Prophecy stared into his red eyes and held her ground.
The sound of heavy raindrops hitting the soaked grass filled the silence.
She had been crossing the park when she'd spotted him. He'd been alone and she'd been wondering what he was doing in Budapest. Surely the Law Keepers hadn't known she would be here? She'd thought they were still preoccupied with Ineru and her human lover.
He stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn't just the long black stand-up collar jacket he wore, or the highly polished boots, it was all of him. Her eyes traced the intricate patterns of the silver embroidery on the jacket and she found herself trying to picture Valentine in a similar uniform. It really would have suited him.
She shut out the sweeping pulse of desire that rushed through her when she continued to imagine Valentine as a Law Keeper and focused on the one that was standing only a few metres from her.
He wasn't armed.
He did have height on her though, and he was well built. She assessed him with a critical eye, looking for any weakness that might show on the surface or in his eyes.
He continued to stare at her.
Neither of them had spoken since they had first spotted eac
h other. She'd been able to watch him for a few short moments before his keen senses had alerted him to her presence, and in that time, she'd not done much more than wonder what he was doing standing around in a park in the dead of night.
She pushed the strands of wet hair from her face and wiped her eyes. This was one fight where she couldn't risk having anything hindering her senses. This was one fight that she didn't want to be a part of. She'd only briefly met the Law Keepers before and it was enough for her to know that she wasn't a match for them physically or in skill. They were the elite. They were the most deadly vampires of the seven pure bloodlines.
But they didn't have magic.
She stretched her fingers and smiled.
He raised a brow at her actions.
"Prophecy, of the bloodline Caelestis, Chosen Daughter of the Heavenly, it is my duty to lay at your feet the charges of conspiracy against your bloodline, intent to destroy all bloodlines, and the dissolution of the bloodlines.” His voice made a chill creep slowly up her spine.
"I admit that I'm guilty of being in love with a man from another bloodline, but as for the other two, you're wrong."
His look didn't change. It remained hard and dark, emotionless.
"Listen to me. It isn't me. I don't want to kill everyone. I'm not the bad guy!” She struggled to keep her voice level and calm. Her words seem to fall on deaf ears. What had she expected? That he would suddenly step aside and let her go? Even if he believed what she'd said, in his eyes she'd still admitted to breaking one of the sacred laws.
He took a step towards her.
She moved back one.
There was no way she was going to fight. She was tired and wet, and she just wanted to get back to the hotel and wait for the next train out of Budapest. Was that too much to ask? Couldn't something be simple for once?
"I don't want to fight you,” she said and his expression remained unchanged. “Please don't make me fight you. I only want to save Valentine."
His brows contracted and he narrowed his eyes the slightest amount.
"The Aurorea?” he said, his voice laced with intrigue.
"Yes. Valentine. Please—” She cut herself off when a woman came running out from the trees. She had dark hair that clung to her face and was wearing a similar jacket to the Vehemens Law Keeper.
"Someone has killed a hunting party. I spoke with a fellow Nocens who was—” The Nocens Law Keeper stopped mid-sentence and looked at her.
"They didn't leave me any choice. Don't make the same mistake,” Prophecy said in a low voice. “There's a war coming and you're on the wrong side. Kalinor and Arkalus have Valentine. Let me go in peace."
The Vehemens looked to be considering what she'd said, but the female Nocens stepped forwards and stared her straight in the eye.
"Fine,” Prophecy said and placed her book down carefully on a nearby tree stump. She made sure it was covered by the cloth and then turned to face them. “You've chosen your fate. I won't give you another chance to reconsider. I don't want to fight, but you've left me with no other choice."
She shook her hands to limber up and didn't give them the opportunity to start the fight. She launched herself at them while the Vehemens Law Keeper still looked distracted. Ducking past the Nocens, she levelled a kick at the Vehemens head and smiled when it connected. He growled and turned to grab her, but she slipped through his grasp and repaid his effort with a kick to the shin before punching him hard across the jaw. Back flipping away from the two Law Keepers as the Nocens female went to attack, she rolled to one side and swept her leg out. The Nocens leapt over it and went to hit her, but Prophecy flipped backwards and kicked the female vampire under the jaw as her legs came up.
A growl was the only warning she got that the Vehemens was close to her and she stifled the cry that tried to issue from her lips when he punched her left shoulder blade. She clutched it with her right hand and scowled at him. Rolling her shoulders, she reacted fast when both of the Law Keepers tried to attack her at once. She stunned the female with her magic, knocking her backwards against a tree, and threw herself at the male. His eyes widened when the force of her bodyweight hitting him in the chest knocked him to the floor. Keeping on top of him, she punched him repeatedly in the face while desperately trying to pin him down.
She grunted when he threw her off him and then rolled out of the path of his foot. She got to her feet and smirked at him, feeling empowered by how strong and fast she was compared to him.
Standing her ground, she kept smiling when he ran at her. When he was within a few feet, she casually raised her hand and blasted him with her magic. He sailed through the air and landed forty foot from her, skidding along the wet grass.
She was impressed by the level of control she now had over her powers. Barely a week ago she would have blown them to smithereens instead of simply stunning them. She didn't want to kill them. If she did that, the Law Keepers would never leave her alone.
The female Nocens levelled a swift punch at her but Prophecy deflected it and brought her hand up again, releasing the magic and launching her back into the tree. The Nocens fell to the ground and whimpered when she tried to stand.
Prophecy's eyes widened when, instead of attacking her, the Vehemens went to the aid of his colleague. He helped the Nocens to her feet, his face reflecting concern and his whispered words telling Prophecy everything she needed to know.
She smiled wickedly.
"A Law Keeper isn't so heartless after all. Behaviour like that will get you killed,” she said and ignored the threatening growl he threw in her direction. There was such a beautifully awkward look on both of the Law Keepers faces.
When they went to advance on her again, she held her hand up with her amulet facing them and they stopped dead in their tracks.
"Let me go,” she said and backed towards her book. She kept her eyes locked on them and picked it up. “When this war is over and I've saved the world, then you can try and take me and Valentine. Until then, keep out of my way. The next time we meet, I won't go so easy on you."
She didn't wait for them to say anything. She bolted into the night, running through the group of trees that bordered the side of the park nearest her and heading for her hotel.
This time, she didn't slow down until she got there.
* * * *
Prophecy stared at the book on the bed beside her. The sun was starting to rise and she was still no closer to opening it. She'd tried saying words, tried her magic, and had tried opening it with brute force, but whatever was holding it closed was stronger than her.
Did the witches know how to open it? Surely they would have told her if they did. She wondered for a moment whether Mathias would know and idly ran her fingers over the indentations on the front cover. They still didn't strike her as decorative. There were five of them, one at each corner of the star and they were all diamond shaped but with different markings. None of them were identical.
She frowned when it dawned on her. Maybe she wasn't missing the right words or spell. Maybe the book had a key. The marks looked as though they were meant to hold something. It had taken her long enough to find the book. She didn't want to think about how impossible it would be to find the key to it before the war really began.
Sighing, she glanced at the window and watched the dust floating in the thin beam of light creeping in through a chink in the curtains. She walked around the bed and carefully closed them, making sure that the sun didn't touch her.
Moving back to her previous position, she stared at the book and then the telephone. She had left a note at Mathias’ place telling him where she was going and instructing him to keep trying to translate the first part of the prophecy. She supposed that she should call him and tell him about the book. Maybe he would have an idea about how to get into it.
She picked up the receiver and dialled his number. The phone seemed to ring for hours while she waited for him to answer. When the ringing stopped, she opened her mouth to speak, but was caught off gua
rd by the deep voice that sent a shiver through her.
"Hello?” Venturi sounded tired. She glanced at the window again, reminding herself that it was daylight outside now. He'd probably been sleeping.
She swallowed hard and gripped the phone a little tighter. “Venturi?"
"Prophecy?” He suddenly sounded wide awake and she waited for the onslaught that he'd probably been saving up for when she contacted them. She knew that he would be angry with her for leaving him behind, but she had to do this alone. It was safer this way.
"It's me,” she said and steeled herself.
"Where in the Devil ... I mean ... you left ... I know you said that you were going to, but...” He stumbled along and she could hear the initial anger disappearing from his voice as it lowered to a near-whisper. “I am sorry about the way things were left between us. I was ... I make no apologies for how I acted, but if I offended you—"
"It's not why I called."
"I know. Are you all right? We have been worried sick about you."
She cursed the way the obvious concern in his voice made her feel safe. It felt wrong and she knew that she should stop him, but she couldn't. She wanted to feel safe and loved. She'd done so much fighting since entering Budapest and she was so tired. She just wanted to curl up and fall asleep with his voice echoing in her ears. Mathias wouldn't be so worried about her. Venturi had used the scribe as a cover so he could tell her how he felt without offending her. He knew that she wouldn't be able to say anything if both of them were worried.
"I'm fine,” she said after a short pause.
"You sound tired."
She ignored his words and reminded herself that she was calling to report her discovery to them, not to talk about why she'd left or how she was.
"I have my mother's book. It's locked and I don't have a key. Have you made any progress on the scroll?” She kept her tone flat and emotionless.
