by Frank Morin
“I will show you the power of god!”
The sky darkened overhead as roiling, angry clouds filled what had been a clear, blue sky.
“This is going to get ugly,” Tomas said. “Get under cover, quick!”
Sarah ran for a nearby truck as Tomas relayed the order and troops scattered to find cover. Within seconds, huge hailstones began falling from the sky. They shattered on the ground with cracks like gunfire. The hail swept across the city, sending everyone scrambling for cover, denting cars, shattering windows, and beating down those too slow or too unlucky to reach safety.
The temperature began to plummet, but Sarah grabbed a clipboard in the truck and sketched out the runes. Alter and Tomas had packed into the front seat of the club cab with her, while five other soldiers had piled into the back seat. The sky darkened and the roar of the hail made speaking difficult. The reinforced windshield of the truck cracked, and Sarah shared a worried look with Tomas.
Alter clicked on a flashlight to illuminate the page while Sarah worked to complete the symbols. She was pretty sure she got it right, but he pointed out a couple of problems with the Hebrew characters.
“Can you use it if you’re not sure?” Tomas asked.
“Part of the power of runes is belief that they’ll work,” Sarah said. “But these runes are specific, so if we mess up, there’s no telling what might happen.”
The hail ceased and Tomas peered through the ice-splattered windshield. “This can’t be good.” After a few seconds, he opened the door and stood on the seat to look over the hood.
“Not good,” he reiterated, and Sarah joined him just in time to witness the first streak of fire hiss past and splatter flames against the ground.
“He’s called down fires from heaven?” Alter exclaimed.
“That’s not all,” Tomas said.
As fire rained down all around, a deeper rumbling shook the earth and filled Sarah with nameless fear.
“What is that?” she asked.
Tomas motioned her back into the cab, then fired up the engine and pulled it forward around a nearby barricade so they could peer down the nearby Via della Conciliazione toward the source of the noise.
Pouring into the eastern end of the street came a wave of water as high as the houses, sweeping cars and everything else before it.
“Get us out of here!” Alter shouted.
Tomas gunned the engine, racing the truck north toward a side street that circled the square. He tapped his throat and shouted, “All units, run! He’s pulled the Tiber off course. Seek shelter to the north.”
Fire falling from the sky suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Sarah gripped the armrests hard in growing fear as they sped into the cross street, followed by trucks and troops on foot. Debris from the shattered colonnade blocked the road fifty yards ahead, and they leaped from the cab to scramble together up the pile of rubble just as the flood waters burst into the plaza behind them and swept away the trucks and heavy equipment they’d abandoned in their flight.
The ground shook from the raw power of the river unleashed, and spray doused them, slashing at their faces with brutal force. The waters were black from earth and stone scoured from the streets. Sarah caught glimpses of vehicles, and rubble, and corpses, churning in its depths. The feeling of sick revulsion merged with her intense relief that they’d escaped the torrent.
Instead of dispersing through the plaza like any other flood would have, the waters somehow maintained their form and rolled past, a wall of destruction that smashed into the south end of the square, tearing through the Italian forces. With undiminished force, it snatched up vehicles and soldiers too slow to escape its deadly path.
Sarah cried out with horror as she witnessed the destruction and death, her tears mingling with the spray that poured down her face.
Paul had done it. He was an unstoppable madman, intent on nothing but destruction and conquest.
Then she realized, that was the key.
Crouched under a leaning marble column, Sarah pulled out her sketched runes and studied them again. While the ground shook, nearby buildings toppled under the onslaught of the river unleashed, and distant sirens echoed across the city, the uncaring rain of fire sizzled against wet stone.
Sarah ignored it all, grasping at the truth she’d discovered, and her fear faded under renewed hope.
She understood what they had to do.
Chapter One Hundred and Two
To think a rune of creativity could prove so powerful. Archimedes was so much more than a thinker of maths and frivolous pursuits. His brilliant defenses of Syracuse against the Romans suggests he could have been recruited. I found no evidence of kashaph tendencies, but he was murdered in his workshop by the enforcers before I could speak with him or discover his unique rune.
~ Melek the Bald, 212 A.D.
“Look at this.” Sarah drew Tomas and Alter deeper under the leaning column and pointed at Paul’s greater rune. “He’s combined the three master runes, but the only truth he’s using is conquest and destruction.”
“Right,” Alter said. “We talked about that. He saw the truths he wanted to see, the ones that match his goals.”
“Exactly,” Sarah said. “But those aren’t the truths I saw in the runes.”
“What are you saying?” Tomas asked as Gregorios and Eirene joined them. Francesca dropped to one knee beside Tomas and accepted from him the soulmask of her sister. She leaned close and whispered something, a smile flickering across her face.
Sarah wished she could hear what they were saying. She could use a little humor at the moment, but didn’t dare waste any time. “Paul is twisting everything from those historical moments to evil purposes, but those moments were stronger than that. In Berlin, Hitler fell, destroying the country’s hopes of world domination.”
She pointed at part of the greater rune. “Paul’s using that part. But the deeper truth of that moment was something different. That day, the world ended a conflict in Europe that had cost millions of lives and would have continued killing had he not fallen. It was a great victory for the forces of peace.”
Sarah gestured at the devastation left behind by the out-of-control river. The waters were gone, but they’d wreaked terrible damage. “Paul lives in a world without peace. He can’t understand it.”
“I don’t get where you’re going,” Alter said. “He’s still commanding the power of those moments.”
“He’s not the only one who can, though.”
Eirene crouched beside her. “Are you saying you can access the might of those master runes at the same time he’s got an open link to them?”
“I think so.”
Gregorios said, “Is that possible?”
Alter frowned. “I don’t know. Master runes aren’t used, Sarah! He’s linked them into a greater rune bonded to his soul. I think he’s got them locked down.”
“I don’t think so,” Sarah said, not sure how she knew, but convinced she was right. “If I can tap into a deeper truth, I can shift the balance away from him.”
“It might work.” Francesca gave Sarah a fierce grin. “If anyone can do it, it’s you, girl.”
“In every instance, he’s focusing on one truth,” Sarah said, smiling her thanks. “We need a stronger truth.”
Alter shook his head. “It’s like a rune duel, Sarah. You can’t just ignore what’s already been marked. You have to modify it, change it to your purpose.”
“Of course!” Another concept clicked into place and Sarah pulled Alter down to her, kissing him on the lips. “Brilliant.”
Alter’s face lit with a happy smile.
Tomas dropped to one knee, forcing himself between them, looking ready to punch Alter. Sarah kissed him too. “Work with me here, okay?”
“What are you thinking?” Tomas asked, somewhat mollified.
“We can change his rune to a different truth.”
“Like what you did in the circus?” Alter asked.
“Not exactly. There, I change
d a rune that hadn’t activated yet by finishing it with different strokes. Paul’s greater rune is fully active, and he’s got counter runes in place to block tampering.”
Sarah drew the foundational keystone elements of each of the master runes onto the page, reflecting the truths she sought. They fell together easily, forming the periphery of a new cipher. It only lacked the right center to bind them all together.
“He’ll never let you get close enough again,” Tomas said. “He’ll crush your fingers if you try to mark another cipher around him.”
“I can’t just draw a cipher,” Sarah said, frowning again. “We need something to trigger the change, something I can use to link to his rune and twist it.”
“Like re-focusing a laser,” Tomas said. “You just need a mirror.”
“Exactly,” Sarah said. “But our mirror has to reflect the truths I need to draw upon. We need love and honor.” She added marks into the center of the new cipher. “Those can trump the runes of conquest and fear he’s using. Charity trumps cruelty.”
She glanced up at Eirene. “Right?”
“Always,” Eirene said with quiet confidence.
Sarah added more marks. It was taking shape, and the beauty of it tugged at her heart. It still lacked a final keystone in the center, the deepest truth that would tie it all together.
The symbol came to her and she caught her breath, her finger shaking. She didn’t dare draw it.
“What?” Alter asked. “You see it, don’t you?”
She nodded, whispering. “Self-sacrifice trumps domination.”
Sarah drew the mark, hating herself for what she saw, knowing there was no other way. The final cipher glowed on the page, resonating in her soul with undeniable power. This was her greater cipher, the one that could usurp Paul’s control over those pivotal moments in history. A cipher she doubted he could ever imagine existed.
This cipher could defeat him.
She only needed to ask someone to die for her.
Chapter One Hundred and Three
The legions honor me, and my future is secure. Why do I feel like a fraud? I alone accepted the enhancement Gregorios’ men offered, despite my brothers’ protests. Now they are dead, their courage insufficient to win the day. I avenged them and secured a great victory for Rome, but am I a hero or a villain?
~Publius Horatius, 7th Century B.C., the lone survivor of the famous duel of triplets that settled the war between Rome and Alba Longa
“It’s beautiful,” Tomas breathed, sliding one finger across the new cipher Sarah had just designed.
“It’s perfect,” Alter said, his eyes shining.
“No.” Sarah wanted to crumple the paper, but it wouldn’t matter. That cipher had already burned into her heart. She could re-draw it again instantly. “Don’t you see, the key is self-sacrifice?”
“No greater love,” Alter recited with reverence, nodding slowly.
“It’s too much,” Sarah said. “I can’t.”
Tomas kissed her gently on the lips. “It’s all right. I’ve died in battle before. Piece of cake.”
“Not this time,” she said, gripping his hand and blinking away tears. “This binds to the soul. It’ll only work if the sacrifice is made willingly, and there’s no going back. It’ll drain the soul that binds it.”
“But it’ll give us the power to kill Paul?”
“It’ll give someone the power.” Alter pointed at the rune. “Sarah this cipher is more powerful than anything we’ve ever attempted before.”
“I can handle it,” Tomas said. “I only need a minute to kill him.”
“You won’t get a minute,” Alter said. “The power of this cipher will snuff out any normal soul, even one with as many enhancements as yours.”
He gestured toward the square. “We don’t have time to waste, and I’m the only one who can make this work.”
Sarah followed his gaze. The floodwaters had receded, bearing with them the untold number of dead caught in their wake. The area south of the square was devastated, buildings shattered, military hardware flattened. Standing water pooled along the streets and the survivors stumbled through it in shock.
The battle was over. Paul had won.
He stood in the center of the square, exultant. He made a beckoning gesture and a single statue strode out of the damaged entrance to the Basilica. Sarah recognized it as Mary from the famous Pieta sculpture. Instead of bearing the body of Jesus, she was carrying the struggling form of the pope.
Sarah’s heart sank. She had hoped the pope had escaped. The aged pontiff looked shaken and terrified.
Paul gave him a mock bow. “Thus do I prove my divinity. Grovel at my feet and be my prophet, or die today.”
“We have no choice,” Sarah whispered, her heart breaking. “Only a living soul, sacrificed to him, bound to this cipher, can redirect the power of those moments. In his moment of victory, we can destroy him.”
“You’re sure it’ll work?” Tomas asked.
Sarah could only nod. The strength of her assurance was killing her.
He saw the truth in her eyes. “I’m sure of one thing. I love you.”
“You can’t,” she said.
“No, he can’t,” Alter agreed. “I’m the only one who can.” He leaned closer, his gaze intent. “Sarah, I have nothing left to lose anyway. My family will hunt me down after today. Let me destroy that monster and die with honor.”
Sarah hesitated and glanced at Tomas, who looked ready to argue, but waited for her. “This must be done for love, with a pure willingness to sacrifice, to link your soul to mine and activate the cipher.”
“Then I have to do it,” Tomas said, his voice determined, but his expression sad. He could do it for her, but once they activated the rune, their hopes of a long life together would be consumed in the fires of destruction.
If they didn’t do it, they would both die in moments anyway.
“No,” Alter said with equal determination. “Sarah, I love you. I will do this for you.”
“Back off,” Tomas growled. “This is my duty. It’s our love that needs to fuel it.”
Sarah placed a restraining hand on Tomas’ arm and kissed him tenderly. He looked relieved, but the sadness lingered in his gaze. Alter looked ready to leap upon Tomas’ back.
“Alter is right,” Sarah said softly. “You’re not strong enough to do this alone.”
“You can’t be serious,” Tomas whispered, anguished. “Sarah, listen to what you’re saying!”
“I love you, Tomas,” she said, fighting back tears at the thought of what she was about to attempt. “But I need Alter too.”
“Wait, what?” Tomas asked.
“I need you both,” she said. “Only together can we do this.”
“I’ll do it,” Alter said quickly. “My soul is yours, Sarah.”
Tomas scowled at him. “Sarah, tell us what you need and we’ll do it.”
Sarah fought to stay focused. She couldn’t bear to lose either of them, but she had to risk them both.
“The mission comes first,” Tomas said. “Do it, Sarah. We’re out of time.”
In the square, the statue of Mary dropped the pope and he stood to face Paul, arranging his ropes with the little dignity that remained to him. Although visibly terrified he spoke loudly. “I defy you, false king. Antichrist.”
“Do it,” Alter pressed.
They both shed their vests and pulled off their shirts. Sarah placed one hand on Alter’s chest, feeling his heartbeat and the warmth of his skin. He did not speak, but stared at her with silent intensity, and his gaze spoke volumes. She wished she could show him how much she cared for him. That fact made the sacrifice all the more difficult because his love could never be reciprocated.
Sarah accepted a slender knife from Tomas and quickly marked a cipher on Alter’s chest, above his heart. He made no complaint, his eyes never wavering.
She repeated the process with Tomas, and when she finished, she kissed him tenderly, even though th
ey only had a second.
“If I’m wrong,” she whispered. “I’m sending you to die for nothing.”
“I trust you,” he said simply. “And I love you.”
Sarah smiled through the aching grief in her heart, hating Paul more than ever for forcing her to risk the first man she truly loved. “He has to dispossess one of you.”
“We’ll get it done,” Tomas said, giving her a brave smile as he rose and donned his shirt to conceal the rune.
Alter leaped to his feet, but paused, and in his gaze, Sarah read his desire to kiss her again.
“Go,” she said. He sighed, then sprinted into the square with Tomas at his side.
As Paul advanced on the pope, Tomas’ voice pulled him around. “Face me, coward!”
Paul grinned. “So the mortal comes to make a sacrifice?”
He had never spoken truer words.
Chapter One Hundred and Four
I found Rome a city of bricks, but in only two lifetimes I have made it a city of marble.
~Caesar Augustus, the second life of Julius Caesar
Sarah watched as Tomas and Alter strode into the square to face Paul. Tomas carried a fighting knife, and Alter’s hands burst into purple fire. They looked pitiful compared to the bloody Cui Dashi standing over the pope.
“You think you can just show up and take my girl?” Tomas demanded.
Paul laughed. “Absolutely.”
“She won’t serve you,” Tomas said. “Her soul is free.”
“Yours won’t be,” Paul promised. He didn’t even bother to draw a weapon.
“Fight me!” Tomas shouted and charged, blade held high.
“You are unworthy,” Paul said, blurring across the distance between them, knocking Tomas off his feet with a brutal blow to the chest.
Tomas struggled back to his knees, his face twisted with pain.
Alter closed in a rush. “I’m worthy!”
Paul laughed and caught him with one hand. “I thought you learned your lesson after what happened to your brother.”
