The Sage Stone Prophecy (Arkana Archaeology Adventure Series Book 7)

by N. S. Wikarski

  “How many people do you think are down there?” Shem asked, inclining his head toward the air vent.

  “In the bunker below?” Paul shrugged. “Who can say? It’s enough to know that they’re enemies of the Nephilim. Enough to know that the Diviner wants them dead. He said this canister holds ten times as much plague as was entrusted to our brothers around the world. It might take days for the toxin to spread but it’s certain to kill everybody in this underground lair. Now help me feed this tubing through the vent cover. We need to lower it deep into the air ducts for maximum effect.”

  Threading the tubing through the narrow gaps in the grille proved more time-consuming than expected. Both men became completely focused on the task. They were deaf to everything else until Shem heard a twig crack behind him. By then, it was already too late.

  ***

  Hector and Darryl studied the unconscious men lying at their feet.

  Hector stooped down to collect the tubing and canister. “Good thing we got here when we did. They were on the point of dispensing the gas.”

  He handed the canister to Darryl. “Why don’t you run this back to the Vault? I’ll keep watch over our sleeping beauties.”

  “And then what?”

  “We toss these two into my truck and drop them off near their compound gates. After they wake up, they can walk the rest of the way home.”

  Hector glanced at his fellow agent. “So, you think Faye’s still got a concussion?”

  “Nope.” Darryl loped off to deposit the final plague canister into storage.

  Chapter 54—Back To The Garden

  Hannah parted the drapes in the front parlor and spied a sedan parked in the driveway. Its three occupants were ascending the porch stairs. “She’s here!” she called out excitedly. “Everybody, Granny Faye is here!”

  Griffin, Cassie, and Erik hurried to take up positions near the door. Hannah pulled it open to reveal Faye flanked by Zach and Maddie.

  “Welcome home!” everyone shouted in unison.

  The Memory Guardian’s hand flew to her heart. “Goodness gracious.”

  “Are you trying to give Gamma a heart attack?” Zach accused. “For crying out loud, she just came out of a coma.”

  “Zachary, it’s quite all right.” Faye scanned the room and its occupants, her eyes twinkling. “It’s so good to be home again. Of course I would have preferred to return right after I woke up but the doctors insisted on another week in the infirmary. Better late than never, I suppose.”

  Zach and Maddie stepped back, trading conspiratorial smiles. Faye extended her arms and the other four rushed forward for a group hug.

  “We’re so happy to have you back with us,” Griffin said.

  “Ditto,” agreed Erik.

  “And you don’t have to lift a finger at your party,” Cassie added. “We did all the cooking for a change.”

  They led her towards the kitchen.

  “Really?” Faye sounded mildly incredulous. “Did everything... er... turn out all right?”

  “We didn’t burn the house down if that’s what you mean,” the Paladin reassured her.

  “Although you came quite close when you nearly set fire to the yard,” Griffin reminded him. “Grill master, indeed!”

  “Hannah supervised us,” the Pythia said. “We might be expert artifact hunters but none of us knows our way around a kitchen like she does.”

  “Everything is set up in the garden.” Griffin held open the back screen door. “Step this way, if you please, and we’ll do the rest.”

  “The pie!” Hannah scurried off in a panic to check the oven.

  Erik and Griffin guided Faye to the place of honor. They’d set up the picnic table so she could sit at the end, directly beneath her beloved wisteria pergola. The table was already spread with summer salads, grilled spare ribs, corn on the cob, and pitchers of iced tea and lemonade.

  The Pythia registered dismay. “I forgot the cole slaw.” She dashed back inside the house.

  Hannah was pulling a cherry pie out of the oven and setting it on a rack to cool just as the doorbell rang.

  “I’ll get it,” Cassie offered, running to the front of the house.

  Three more guests stood on the porch.

  “Hi! C’mon in.” She motioned them into the parlor.

  “After everything that’s happened, I wasn’t sure we’d be welcome here,” Daniel demurred.

  “I invited you, didn’t I?”

  Daniel’s companion extended his hand. “You must be the fabulous Cassie.” He smiled, revealing a row of perfect teeth.

  “I am all that.” She laughed. “And you must be the equally awesome Chris.”

  “She’s a great judge of character,” the librarian said to Daniel. “I like her already.”

  The Pythia focused on the child standing between the men. “And who might this be?”

  The girl took a step back, daunted by the question.

  “My daughter Sarah,” Daniel explained. “I want her to get used to the outside world.”

  “After the party, we’re taking her clothes shopping,” Chris added.

  Cassie scrutinized the gray smock the five-year-old was wearing. “And just in the nick of time.”

  “Tell me about it.” Chris shook his head. “Abraham Metcalf spawned an entire generation of fashion victims just like her. He truly was evil.”

  “Is Hannah here?” Daniel searched the room. “Sarah is a bit shy but she knows Hannah. It might make her feel at ease to see a familiar face.”

  “Oh, of course. Right this way.”

  Cassie ushered them into the kitchen where Hannah was in the process of untying her apron.

  At the sight of her, Sarah cried, “Sister Hannah!” and rushed forward.

  “Oh, my goodness. I haven’t seen you in such a long time.” Hannah crouched down to hug her.

  Sarah gravely studied Hannah’s short hair and Fallen attire. “You look different.”

  “And if my Bloomingdale’s charge has anything to say about it, Sarah will look different too in a few hours,” Chris whispered to Cassie.

  “I’m still the same old me,” Hannah reassured the child. “And to prove it, I just might have an oatmeal cookie for a special little girl.” She glanced up at Daniel for permission.

  He nodded. “I don’t think one cookie will spoil her appetite.”

  “Why don’t you two come out into the garden while Hannah plies Sarah with sweets,” Cassie suggested.

  The Pythia and her guests squeezed past Hannah with Sarah grafted to her waist—the child’s eyes glued to the cookie jar.

  The trio made their way across the yard which was a beehive of activity.

  Maddie was seated to Faye’s left, giving her the highlights of what she’d missed during her coma. Erik was at the grill tending a rack of ribs. Zach was bringing folding chairs from the shed while Griffin was setting up a card table as an extension of the picnic table.

  “Time to get everyone acquainted.” Cassie stepped forward to perform introductions.

  Once greetings had been exchanged, the Pythia seated Chris and Daniel on the bench beside Maddie and poured them both glasses of iced tea.

  At that moment, Hannah and Sarah emerged from the kitchen.

  Cassie ran forward to take the bowl Hannah held out to her. “The cole slaw! I can’t believe I forgot it twice.” She promptly thumped the elusive salad down with the rest of the food.

  Hannah and Zach lifted Sarah into the chair between them at the folding table.

  “I’m seventeen, I just helped save the world, and I still get stuck at the kiddie table,” the tyro complained.

  “With me, Zachary,” Hannah said pointedly as she took her place. “You’re sitting at the kiddie table with me.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He smiled sheepishly at his gaffe. “Best seats in the house.”

  Erik shut down the grill and laid another platter of ribs on the groaning board before seating himself to Faye’s right.

  Griffin t
ook the middle spot on the bench next to Erik, leaving room for Cassie on the end.

  The Pythia assessed the offerings to make sure nothing had been forgotten. Giving a nod of satisfaction, she sat down and announced, “That’s it. Everybody dig in.”

  The assembled guests required no coaxing and for several minutes nobody spoke as a flurry of hands passed plates and bowls around the table. They made small talk for much of the meal, commenting on the various dishes, the warm summer weather, and other bland topics. When Daniel asked about Lars, he was informed that the guide would be coming to the States for the Concordance ceremony honoring all the Arkana personnel who had helped prevent doomsday. While the adults conversed, Sarah contentedly ate her food and watched all the oddly-dressed people surrounding her.

  “Zach, I must say, my flower garden looks splendid.” Faye couldn’t keep a note of wonder out of her voice.

  The teenager shrugged. “I wasn’t going to let everything fall apart just because you were napping. I knew you’d come back eventually.”

  His ancestor smiled warmly. “Thank you for your unwavering faith in that favorable outcome.”

  Daniel squirmed in his seat, apparently recalling that the Nephilim were responsible for Faye’s injury.

  As if sensing his discomfort, the Memory Guardian smoothly changed the subject. “And how are the Nephilim faring under your leadership, Daniel?”

  “It’s an uphill battle,” Chris answered on his behalf.

  The new Diviner eyed his companion with mild reproach. “My methods aren’t universally approved.”

  Faye nodded sagely. “Changing established patterns does take time.”

  “At least I have overwhelming support from the Brotherhood for disarmament. It didn’t take long for word to spread about my father’s death. Most in the congregation are interpreting that event as a warning from God. They’ve readily agreed to return to the original mandate to live apart from the Fallen and await the End Of Days as pacifists.”

  “Speaking of pacifism,” Erik chimed in. What’s your plan for the lab? Not my happiest place on earth.”

  “I’m working with Dr. Aboud’s successor to dismantle the operation and destroy the research files,” Daniel said. “Once that’s done, the facility itself will be demolished.”

  “The Arkana still has one hundred and fifty plague dispensers to get rid of,” Maddie reminded him.

  “I’ll put you in touch with Maskeen,” Daniel suggested. “He’ll help you transfer the virus back to the lab where it can be disposed of safely.”

  “Now that the compounds have been demilitarized, I should think that some Nephilim might want to return to the outside world,” Faye ventured.

  “A smaller percentage than I’d like.” The new Diviner sighed. “I’m instituting rehabilitation programs for the ones who want to go. The Brotherhood certainly has the financial resources to make that possible. I myself will be leaving once I’ve undone as much damage as I can.” He glanced at his daughter. “Sarah and I are moving into an apartment in the city.”

  “What about your other wives and daughters?” Hannah asked in surprise. “You won’t forget about them, will you?”

  Daniel smiled bleakly. “They’ve chosen to stay. I can’t force them to see things my way but Sarah is different. She’s still very young and her mother is gone so it’s up to me to decide for her.”

  “I like being outside,” his daughter informed them all over a spoonful of potato salad.

  “There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Out of the mouths of babes,” Chris said. “Too bad she can’t convince her elders at the compound that outside is better for everybody.”

  “If it were up to me, I’d dissolve the organization altogether,” Daniel stated flatly.

  “That’s a wonderful idea!” Hannah enthused. “Especially for the Consecrated Brides and their children. What’s stopping you?”

  The new Diviner hesitated. “The message Cassie received from Jedediah Proctor, that’s what. He made God’s plan for the Blessed Nephilim quite clear.”

  Daniel’s Arkana listeners reacted strangely to his comment. They all turned toward Cassie expectantly.

  The Pythia flushed. “Uh...”

  Maddie tapped her long fingernails on the table. “That’s your cue, kiddo. You insisted we do this, remember?”

  Cassie winced. “I should learn to keep my mouth shut.”

  “You did say it would be better if he received the news from you,” Griffin hinted.

  The Pythia transferred her attention to the new Diviner. “Yikes, this is awkward.” She smiled fleetingly. “OK, here goes. Daniel, you’ve helped the Arkana in so many ways that we consider you an ally. That’s why we feel we owe you an explanation about what happened on Ahkka Mountain.”

  Daniel peered at her uncomprehendingly. “I don’t need an explanation. I saw it all unfold with my own eyes.”

  “Yeah, that’s just the thing.” Cassie faltered. “Do you remember what your father said right before he died? He claimed that nothing he saw was real.”

  “My father was rambling and out of his head.”

  “Maybe so but he was also right.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Sarah began to fidget. She twisted around in her seat, looking for new territory to explore.

  Chris rose from the table. “It might be a good idea if I took Sarah for a walk around the neighborhood while the eyewitnesses have a chat. This topic isn’t rated ‘For General Audiences’ anyway. Daniel can catch me up later if I miss anything important.”

  “An excellent suggestion,” Faye concurred.

  “There are more cookies in the kitchen if she wants one,” Hannah called after him as he took Sarah by the hand and led her through the screen door.

  Once they were out of earshot, Cassie began. “Daniel, you can go ahead and disband the Nephilim with a clear conscience because that message didn’t actually come from Jedediah Proctor. I faked the trance. In fact, everything you saw was an act. We staged the whole scene for the Diviner’s benefit.”

  The Pythia waited a few moments for Daniel’s glazed expression to fade.

  “But what about the prophecy?” he asked. “My father confirmed that he never told anyone about it before you channeled those words aloud.”

  “I actually learned about it one night while I was searching Metcalf’s office,” Erik said. “He wandered in and started quoting from it. All I had to do was copy down the text.”

  “And I made Cassie memorize it,” Maddie added. “In fact, nearly everything she told the Diviner was scripted and rehearsed ahead of time.”

  Daniel glanced from one face to another, still obviously confused. “I don’t understand. Why would you bother doing any of that?”

  Zach spoke up. “We were trying to avoid a body count and the only way we could think of was to mess with your dad’s head.”

  “We figured a message from the Nephilim’s founder and a quote from his own prophecy might cause him to scrap his plan for doomsday,” the Chatelaine explained

  “A very risky ploy.” Daniel sounded skeptical. “My father could be exceptionally hard to convince of anything that ran contrary to his own wishes.”

  “Yeah, we know,” Cassie agreed. “That’s why we also let him fumble the retrieval by using the fake artifacts and then showing him that we had the real ones. More proof that he wasn’t destined to control the Sage Stone.”

  “But you yourselves failed to open the reliquary using the real artifacts,” Daniel retorted.

  “That was part of the plan too,” Cassie disclosed uncomfortably.

  “Ridiculous!” the new Diviner objected, sounding nearly as autocratic as his father. “Why on earth would you pretend to fail?”

  “Because we needed to establish my cred.”

  “Your what?” Daniel tilted his head.

  “My credibility as a psychic. If your dad saw me getting an otherwordly message that solved the riddle of how to use the key, he’d be p
rimed to believe me when I started channeling Proctor.”

  “Pretending the key didn’t work very nearly cost you your lives,” Daniel pointed out.

  “Tell me about it!” Zach gave Maddie a dirty look. “Losing our weapons sure wasn’t part of the plan. That mistake almost got Hannah and Erik killed.”

  “Almost doesn’t count.” The Chatelaine waved her hand dismissively. “End of subject.”

  “But Father Abraham actually did fire at Cassie!” Daniel turned to the Pythia for confirmation. “I saw him shoot you twice and you survived.”

  “Another trick. I was wearing a bullet-proof vest under my sweater.”

  Daniel’s mouth hung open.

  “In fact, we were all wearing body armor,” Griffin said. “Except for Hannah and Erik, of course.”

  “Yeah, thanks for that,” the Paladin grumbled.

  “Well, we could hardly pass you Kevlar vests during the confrontation, now could we?” the Scrivener countered. “Admittedly, we miscalculated Metcalf’s willingness to kill Hannah. But as for you, a vest would have been pointless since your captors were far more likely to shoot you in the head anyway.”

  Erik was about to offer a blistering retort but Maddie intervened to forestall a squabble. “We were hoping to draw all the fire away from the hostages. OK? Let’s just leave it at that.”

  “And it’s not like I expected Metcalf to hit me,” Cassie said. “Who knew he could aim straight?”

  “Seeing you fall nearly gave me heart failure!” Griffin exclaimed.

  “You and the rest of us,” Erik agreed.

  Cassie continued. “When I realized I hadn’t been hurt, I figured I could use those bullet holes in my jacket to feed the scenario. I played it up as proof that I had received the power of the Sage Stone.”

  “That part had to be true,” Daniel insisted. “How else could you have crushed the artifact with your bare hands?”

  The Pythia smiled cryptically. “Funny thing about that rock.”

  Maddie dug inside her voluminous handbag. “It wasn’t the real Sage Stone.” She slammed a heavy object on the table next to Faye’s plate. “This is the Sage Stone.”

  All eyes turned to a nondescript black rock about eight inches long and five inches wide.