Sacred Light (Armor of Magic Book 1)

by Simone Pond

  It was already four o’clock, and I was supposed to be working on the historical homes story, but I couldn’t. Something was calling me to Emmett Stone. It wasn’t every day you see a homeless person get infiltrated by a shadow creature, then walk right into the City Controller’s place of business.

  The door to Emmett Stone’s office opened, and out walked the same homeless guy from the alley, only he was cleaned up and wearing a dark suit and sleek black shoes. It was like a TV crew snuck in and did a complete makeover. He passed by, carrying a briefcase and a look of determination. I rushed into Emmett Stone’s office before his assistant had a chance to announce me.

  “Hi. I’m Fiona Farrow from Lifting the Fog and….”

  “I’m sorry, sir.” The assistant stepped into the office. “This young lady wanted a few minutes of your time. She’s doing a story on your success with the city’s homeless shelters.”

  Emmett Stone stood at least six foot three, giving me a stern once over, then nodded to his assistant. She scooted out of the office, leaving me alone with the City Controller. His presence was so powerful; my hubris was immediately curbed. I sat in the chair across from his desk and summoned my best interview tactics.

  “So, I’m curious why a homeless man from the streets came to your office and left looking like he had a makeover? Is that part of the Stockton Shelter project? Giving special attention to individuals?” I was hoping to catch him off guard, but he remained calm.

  “That’s one of the components. The more personal time we devote to individuals, the more confident they become. And with more confidence comes great things.” His large hands moved in swift strokes, doing that politician thing that I had come to detest.

  Since I only had ten minutes, I went straight for the jugular. “Is this where that missing portion of the budget is going? To these private consultations you’re conducting in your office?”

  His nostrils flared, and his beady black eyes narrowed as he scanned me. “Sounds like you’re making some half-baked assumptions, Ms. Farrow. I’m sure you’re a real go-getter, vying to make a name for yourself, but you’re better off sticking to the facts.” He did another one of those annoying hand gestures to let me know he meant business.

  I eased back a bit and gave him a fake smile. “You’re right. Why don’t you give me some of the facts, Mr. Stone?”

  “Since you’re so concerned about the budget, I’ll tell you—off-the-record—that the finances I’m setting aside are to build a new and improved homeless shelter. One that will solve the homeless epidemic in our fair city.”

  I held back a laugh. “That’s a pretty bold statement.”

  “I’m a bold man.”

  While I contemplated Stone’s audacity, some sort of supernatural being blinked into the room and positioned itself next to the desk. The man—or whatever it was—wore a business suit. Had it not just blinked into the room, I would’ve thought it just another government official. Stone remained calm as if nothing had happened. Either he hadn’t noticed the figure, or he was pretending he hadn’t. Stone’s voice filled my head, the same way Ezra had been communicating with me—telepathically. But Stone wasn’t talking to me. He was addressing the business man.

  “I told you no visitations when a human is present. It’s rather awkward.”

  “She can’t see me.”

  I forced myself to remain still, though my entire body trembled. The supernatural-whatever’s voice was like a wrecking ball shattering the inside of my skull. I didn’t want Stone or that thing in my head another freaking second, so I abruptly stood up and headed toward the door without an explanation.

  “Is everything okay?” Stone’s eyebrows furrowed.

  I wondered if he knew that I had detected the being’s presence. I didn’t want him to know that I was onto him and his supernatural bullshit and whatever evil happenings were going on in his office. And trust me, it was most definitely evil—I could feel it in my bones. It felt like an icy shiver storm was splintering through my body.

  “I think I’m coming down with something.” I started coughing as I edged out of his office.

  I slammed the door behind me and ran down a flight of stairs until I was outside. The fog was bustling in from the ocean, blanketing everything with a wet haze. In my panic, I rushed across the street and almost got slammed by two different cars.

  “Ezra!” I screamed, not giving a shit who heard me.

  Where was he when you actually needed him? I kept running until I got to the Civic Center BART station, figuring the more people I was around, the better.

  That wasn’t the case.

  The station tunnels were teeming with all sorts of demonic activity. It was like someone had turned up the volume on my ability to see all things supernatural and creepy as fuck. Everywhere I turned, something unusual was happening. For some reason, the shifters kept changing back and forth between their natural and supernatural identities. I noticed a warlock blow a handful of dust toward a woman; when she turned around to find him standing behind her, her eyes lit up like wild fire and she asked him if he’d like to go get a drink. Slinky, shadowy creatures, like the one I had seen in the alley, slithered around the platform like leachy oil spills. As I tried to avoid them, I bumped into a woman who looked like she had just stepped out of a murky swamp, with long dripping strands of scraggly hair and ghastly pale green eyes. Before I could scream, the train whooshed up to the platform, and I squeezed my way through the crowd, getting inside just as the doors closed.

  I kept my eyes lowered, not wanting to see one more unearthly thing. No more warlocks, shadow creatures, or shifters. And that’s when it hit me: I remembered Lilith standing on the front porch the previous day. Hadn’t she looked like a creature for a split second before shifting back into her gorgeous self, holding two cups of coffee? Was Lilith a demonic being? I wasn’t sure what that meant about Charlotte. I didn’t want to think about anything until I found Ezra and got some answers.

  I got off at 16th and Mission and walked to the closest bar I could find, while trying to keep my eyes trained on the ground the whole time.

  “A shot of Stoli, please. Make that two. And a pint of Stella.” I didn’t look at the bartender while I ordered, or when he set the vodka in front of me. I took the shot back in one gulp and came up coughing.

  “Ezra, where are you? We need to talk,” I mumbled.

  The bartender placed a fresh napkin and the pint of Stella in front of me. “Did you say something?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing.” I still hadn’t made eye contact with the bartender as I picked up the pint and chugged back a good portion.

  “Drinking on the job?” Ezra’s voice filled my head.

  I turned to my left to find him sitting on the stool next to me. His mocha-brown skin glistened in the soft light, and he was a sight for sore eyes.

  “Not funny.” I punched his shoulder, which probably looked insane to anyone watching me. “Something batshit crazy just went down,” I said.

  The bartender came back around, scratching his thick beard and studying me. “You need something else?” he asked, slightly annoyed.

  “I’m sorry. I’m on the phone.”

  He cocked his head, then walked away.

  “So, are you ready?” Ezra asked.

  Defeated and beaten into submission, I nodded. It was time to finally concede to what could no longer be avoided. My damn destiny.

  thirteen

  Ezra got off the bar stool and waited by the door as I paid the bartender, leaving a few extra bucks to make up for my weirdness. We stepped out into the cold night and the fog wrapped around me. I shivered as Ezra and I walked and talked.

  “So, what changed your mind?” he asked.

  “A few things. Like warlocks, witches, and shifters.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “Well played, my Guide. Well played.”

  “I warned you about seeing a lot of demonic activity.”

  “Yeah. I saw some shadowy thing ta
ke possession of a homeless guy, and I followed him all the way to city hall, to the Controller’s office. And then, another supernatural being showed up. I could hear their conversation in my head! It was bone-chilling awful.”

  “Now that you’re officially a Protector—whether you like it or not—your eyes have been opened and you’re going to see all sorts of dark things. The Shadow Order has taken over a large portion of this dimension. What you saw take over the homeless man was a disembodied demon looking for a host; they’re like body snatchers. We think Cagliostro is using them to help build his army.”

  “And who is Cagliostro again? I’ve had a lot going on over here.”

  “He’s an extremely powerful demonic mage who heads up the Shadow Order in the western part of the States. A few millennia ago, he made this dimension his home. He’s been trying to make a united front with his Shadow Order so he can go after the Monarchy. He destroys anyone who refuses to follow him—human or otherwise, and he’s on a mission to collect all Seven Sacred Scrolls. The more he gets, the more power he obtains. You following me?”

  I stopped walking and leaned up against a building. “So basically, this guy is an evil mage who’s building an army to go against the Monarchy, steal the Sacred Scrolls, and destroy the Light. Does that sound about right?”

  Ezra nodded. “And he’s not a fan of Protectors.”

  “Yep. Got that. Loud and clear.”

  “It’s tough nailing down his activity because he keeps the Shadow Order heavily cloaked.”

  “Great.”

  “This is why you need your Armor, Fiona.”

  “Okay, I agree with you about that. But I still have a lot of questions. Like what if I saw someone I’ve known for years shift into a hag with claws and a tail? Is it safe to assume she’s a witch?”

  “Are you talking about Lilith?”

  “How do you know about her?”

  “I know all about you. I’ve been watching since your parents left this dimension.”

  “You mean stalking me.”

  He laughed and patted my shoulder. “If that’s what you prefer to call it.”

  “So? Is Lilith a witch?”

  “She’s a succubus. A little different than a witch.”

  I felt a brief moment of satisfaction—I had called that one a long time ago, even if it was in jest. But if Lilith was a succubus, what was Charlotte?

  “What about my best friend?”

  “Charlotte is different,” Ezra assured me.

  “Different how?”

  “Whereas Lilith is an energy drainer, Charlotte is a healer.”

  “Which category does she fall under—good or evil?”

  “Everyone has a choice, Fiona. Each individual decides whether or not to use their powers for good or evil.”

  “Does she know about them?” I asked.

  “On a subconscious level.”

  I figured that’s probably why she went into medicine. Helping people was in her nature. But what if she decided to go the other route like Lilith? I closed my eyes to let everything sink in.

  “You okay?” Ezra asked.

  “How big is the Shadow Order?”

  He rubbed his hand over his shaved head. “It’s large, but many of them have their own self interests. Cagliostro has been trying to unite them, but it’s not easy herding a bunch of narcissistic supernatural entities.”

  A loud clamor at the end of the alley summoned our attention. From a foggy mist appeared what looked like full-grown lizard people with too many teeth to count. I ducked behind Ezra, not entirely sure if it would do me any good. He was a Guide, not a Protector. I was the damn Protector, but I didn’t have a clue how to handle the situation.

  “Um, Ez … those things look pretty hungry. Are we just going to stand here?”

  “I need to know if you’re ready to receive your Armor.”

  “If that means continuing to live versus becoming lizard chow, then yes.”

  He held my hands and violet light sparkled all around us as we glimmered out of the dimension I had, up until now, called home.

  fourteen

  The light sprinkled around us like glowing confetti, and when it vanished, we were no longer in the alley about to get attacked by giant lizards—we were in another dimension. We were in a city that glimmered from top to bottom. Everything was made of sparkling light and crystals of varying colors—the buildings, streets and sidewalks, and the landscape. The fields of grass and trees glistened like emeralds, and waterfalls gushed over mountain peaks like sapphire arcs of light.

  “Whoa,” I murmured. “Is the sky always pink?”

  “Most of the time.” Ezra took my hand, and we walked down a golden path toward an enormous, gleaming glass castle. “Come on. Let me take you to Headquarters.”

  “Are we in the same dimension as the Monarchy?”

  He laughed. “Not even close. This place is nothing compared to their dimension.”

  Gazing around at the spectacular Glimmer City, I couldn’t begin to imagine what the Monarchy’s dimension looked like. “You must hate coming to my dimension,” I said.

  “Actually, it’s beautiful in its own way. However, evil has done an impressive job destroying as much as it can. Corporate industrialization, chemical companies, the war machine—they’ve created a toxic environment. Another reason we need Protectors; to help set things right again.”

  I laughed at that comment, thinking he must be completely delusional if he thought one little Protector could fix everything wrong in the world. “Um. Ez. I’m one Protector of Light. I doubt I can set things right.”

  “There are other Protectors. If you band together, you will be stronger than the forces of evil. More powerful than the Shadow Order.”

  “So where are these other Protectors?”

  “They’re everywhere.”

  “If we’re supposed to band together, that’s not at all helpful.”

  Ezra ignored me and placed his hand on the entrance of the castle. The giant crystal doors slid open, allowing us to enter the court.

  I stood in the middle, slowly spinning in circles. I had never seen so many colors—it was like a box of pastel crayons that radiated twinkling spectrums of light.

  “This is heavenly,” I whispered.

  “Not quite, but it is opulent. Come on, this way.”

  I was too awestruck to talk or ask any more questions. I wanted to absorb the magnificent gardens and pathways. As we walked, beautiful human-like creatures—with skin that appeared to be made of translucent light—strolled past us, their long gossamer gowns floated in rippling waves behind them. Ezra and I looked out of place in our street clothes. I felt like I was leaving behind a trail of dirt. We walked down a long corridor of open windows, and a fresh breeze tickled my nose; a warm, pleasant breeze, unlike the icy chill of the city. Ezra opened another crystal door, and we entered into the hustling and bustling headquarters.

  A colossal glass dome was situated in the middle of the vast room. Along the surface, multiple images and live holographic videos streamed. Guides surrounded the perimeter, each one gliding their fingers over the images or typing information into invisible keyboards. It was like the New York Stock Exchange, only peaceful and serene.

  “What are they doing?” I whispered.

  “Monitoring dark supernatural activity throughout the dimensions, sending out Guides and Guardians—that sort of thing.”

  We kept walking until Ezra led me into another room where pieces of luminous armor were encased in spherical glass containers.

  “The Armor,” he said.

  I followed him around the room as he touched the spheres, collecting the pieces and handing them to me. By the end, I held a breastplate, helmet, shield, some boots, and a pretty badass sword. Though the pieces were weightless, I almost dropped them trying to put on the helmet.

  “Easy there, Fiona. You need to be shown how to activate and operate this equipment.”

  “Do I just put it on over my cl
othes?”

  “Under them. The Armor must touch your skin to be activated,” he explained.

  “I’m supposed to wear this stuff under my clothes at all times? I cannot walk around town wearing a glowing helmet.”

  “Only Protectors and Guides can detect the Armor. No humans or evil beings will be able to see it. At the moment.”

  “What do you mean at the moment?”

  “Unfortunately, one of the Sacred Scrolls Cagliostro stole has the power to give him sight. That is, if he figures out how to decode it, of course.”

  “This Cags guy is a real pain in the ass. He was the one who stole the Scroll from my parents, wasn’t he?”

  “Probably.”

  “So the bastard knows where my parents are?”

  Ezra shrugged. “We’re not entirely sure what happened.”

  “So if I retrieve these Sacred Scrolls, can I get my parents back?”

  “Anything’s possible.”

  I didn’t waste another second stripping off my jeans and shirt, while Ezra faced the wall. “Should I take off everything? Like bra and underwear?”

  “The breastplate and boots need to touch your skin directly.”

  It was highly annoying and inconvenient, but it’d be a lot better than getting torn apart by a lizard shifter, or blown to bits by a demon. After I put on the pieces of Armor, they warmed up and melded into my skin. A faint glow illuminated from my body. I put my clothes back on over the Armor and let Ezra know he could turn around.

  “So I really have to wear this at all times?”

  He walked over and helped me with the helmet. I expected to feel suffocated, but the moment it became a part of me, everything became more vivid. My senses were on hyper alert, but not in a displeasing way. It wasn’t like walking into a Vegas casino, but actually made me feel like the master of one. Like a pit boss. I could discern everything around me with impeccable clarity.