by Amy Lignor
Neith shook her head. “We don’t know.”
Leah choked. Glancing over at a sobbing Kathryn, she did feel a wave of relief when she recognized that Emmanuel had surfaced. He looked a little banged up but, thankfully, he was very much alive. And he was not the only one who Kathryn now stared at with love in her eyes.
As Gareth staggered up from the floor to retake his place by her side, she spoke, “Your father?”
Gareth was speechless, but his gaze told her all she needed to know: They had found what they’d been searching for.
He finally spoke. “Mom…?”
The older, battered version of Gareth shook his head and aimed his eyes at the panel where the witch resided to the face that’d begun melting away. “Hansen took her long ago.”
Leah’s heart broke, knowing that Gareth’s mother had suffered the same demise as her friend.
Without warning, Gareth ripped open the duffel bag on the floor and ripped it open. Grabbing the spear, he raised it up and sent it flying through the air, straight at Bauer’s chest.
In the blink of an eye, the enemy produced a sparkling piece of metal from behind his back. The two gleaming objects smashed against each other with a thunderous roar, causing the guards to raise the guns they held in their hands.
Sparks flew from the intense hit, and the spear fell to the floor. The impact hadn’t succeeded in moving Bauer one solitary inch, proving that the one piece of armor that the goddesses’ spear could never pierce, was her own.
Nausea took over when Leah saw the man clinging to Athena’s missing shield. “Damn you,” she mumbled.
Waving at the guards to stand down, Daniel’s voice exited his throat like an excited child, “I have to tell you, I just love this thing!”
The one question she had was suddenly answered. Closing her eyes, Leah sighed. “That’s what saved your life in the explosion.”
His golden-brown eyes glittered.
Calling up those final seconds spent at Eagle’s Nest, Leah solved the puzzle. “That was the bright light I saw right before Hitler’s vacation home crumbled around you.”
He wiped a hand across his forehead in dramatic fashion. “Whew! And I have to tell you, I took a real risk with that one. All I had was your assurance that this shield was powerful. And, of course, my mother’s constant blathering about this superior weapon. She said it could even create a type of field around a person that would keep them safe in the worst of situations. Looks like she was right about at least one thing,” he muttered. “God rest her soul.”
“You killed your own mother.”
Completely ignoring her, Bauer continued to stare at Athena’s shield. “Eagle’s Nest, as you know, had tunnels that were built under it so Hitler could escape if he ever needed to.” He raised his head. “All I had to do was fall through the floor of the porch and directly into the hollowed-out cave below.”
“It wasn’t Hansen. You killed your own mother,” she repeated. Leah spoke softly, keeping her hand tight around Gareth’s wrist. The image of Daniel’s mother, Khait, hanging from the beam of the Führer’s chalet filled her mind.
“What can I say?” Daniel said. “She promised me Satan’s stone, Leah, and the crown. She should’ve at least known what the stone looked like.” His tone turned to one of complete disgust. “The woman had been best friends with your mother, after all. She’d even held the real stone in her own hand. Therefore, I’d say it was her own ignorance and incompetence that killed her.”
“Apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” Gareth finally spoke.
“You’re still funny, Lowery.” Daniel grinned. “You know, I was really angry when I discovered that your nine lives weren’t up the last time we parted.”
“I told you a long time ago, Bauer. You can’t stop me.”
His eyes turned cold and dark. “How the hell did you get out of there?”
Gareth glanced at the ancient shield. Leah almost gasped at the rage she witnessed in the depths of their enemy’s eyes. “You possess Athena’s helmet, too?”
Gareth simply smiled. “That’s right, you idiot. The power to be invisible. I simply put it on and walked right by your guards. Sucks, doesn’t it? Knowing that you were once again bested by me.”
Daniel straightened his shoulders. “That won’t happen again.”
The voice was biting, like a freezing wind. “Wanna bet?”
CHAPTER 47
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Leah made sure that when she reopened them Bauer would see nothing more than sheer boredom at having to spend one more minute in his company.
She dulled her tone. “Why are we still alive, Daniel? I don’t know about the rest of the people in this room, but I could go for never having to hear your halfwit voice again. So come on,” she said, taking a step forward, “send me to Heaven. Because if you’re going to succeed in ruling the world, I want to be as far away from it as I can get.”
“Considering all you’ve gone through to stop me, I thought you should witness my crowning achievement, Leah.” He laughd. “Get it?”
“Yeah. You’re a real riot.”
Daniel set down Athena’s shield. “Don’t be like this.” Waving his arms in the air, he continued, “Look around you, Leah. Although Hansen may have added a couple of things, we are standing in a place that was created by the Devil, himself.”
Leah glared at Bauer’s exhilarated expression. “You did it all, didn’t you?” Images from the past raced through her mind. “You even ripped the guts out of those people inside Eagle’s Nest…and we fell for it.”
His grin provided her with the truth.
She shook her head. “I’ll give it to you, Bauer. We thought you were just a power-hungry moron who wanted to play with a few relics. Satan must be so proud to have an underling like you.”
“I’m not an underling, Leah. I am also not a bad guy.” His voice grew low as his words slithered through her ear. “Hansen was. You were right about him. He was a heartless man who killed many people, witnessed by the heads that are now a part of these walls.”
Daniel bowed his head briefly, like a penitent man. “I do have some blame in that, I suppose. If I just could’ve put two and two together faster, I would’ve found out that the real crown had been buried in this nasty place long ago. Then Hansen never would’ve even met any of you. I would have killed him a while ago, because I’d have had no use for him.” He turned his gaze on Anippe. “I owe you for getting the truth out of him, by the way. I am eternally indebted to you for that.”
“And your way of paying her back is to kill her?” Gareth’s anger filled the cave.
Leah watched the guards raise their guns once more, and spoke quickly, “I’m surprised you require protection. I would assume you’d be powerful enough by now that you would no longer need human goons by your side.”
The look Bauer gave her was as ruthless as any could be. Her words had struck the mark. The egotistical man immediately issued a command that was swift and loud. “Get out.”
“Sir?” one guard spoke.
“You are no longer required. Leave. Join the crew back in Heraklion. I will be there soon.”
“But, sir? There are many people here.”
Daniel became enraged. “Leave!”
Pausing for another moment, the man sent a quick glance to his associates before looking back at his boss. But as Daniel’s eyes grew darker, the trio of guards raced out the tunnel, disappearing into the labyrinth without another word spoken.
Turning away, Bauer walked to the far wall, stopped, and turned around. He waved his hand in Leah’s direction. “Come. I want you to be close by for this grand event.”
As Leah took a step forward, Gareth reached out to stop her. “Don’t.”
“Just get over to the wall and see if you can find some way to free them.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I said, come here!” Daniel’s words turned from invitation to demand.
Lea
h winced. Opening her eyes, she took one long look at the worried face of the man she loved. “I’ll figure it out by the time I get over there.”
“Be careful.”
Nodding, Leah followed Bauer’s directions. Moving slowly, she tried to keep his gaze focused only on her. “You’re not ready yet, Daniel.”
“I beg to differ, Madame Librarian.” He smiled. “I’ve been readying myself for this for a long, long time.”
She needed to keep him talking. And the one thing she could count on was the fact that Bauer loved talking about himself. “Now that I know Hansen was nothing more than a wannabe, tell me how you killed those men in Eagle’s Nest. There wasn’t a wound on them.”
“I have a power inside me,” he answered immediately. “You have the same.”
“Please give me something besides religious mumbo-jumbo.”
He ignored her doubts completely. “We both took a bite of a supernatural object back in Jericho, Leah. You’re just choosing to ignore the power it gave to us; the power that’s now running through our veins. You want to pretend it isn’t there. You want to pretend you’re normal. You have no real faith in the unknown. Yours is in human beings, unfortunately, and it’s what holds you back.” His lips pursed together. “Which is sad, really. Because if you learned how to believe, you’d probably become more powerful than me.”
“You know for a fact that I don’t believe?”
Taking a minute, he stood still and studied her. “You might be trying, but you’re analytical. Faith, for you, is on the same level as a dream.”
She felt her face grow warm.
“It’s hard to have faith in a dream, isn’t it? For you, the brain needs proof. Tangible evidence.” His eyes widened as he continued to stare at her. “Or has that changed?”
She remained silent. The last thing she wanted him to know was that she had followed a dream to Kissamos.
Reaching down, he took her hand, brushing his thumb over the brilliant tattoo. “This is a very distinctive mark. Did you know that?”
He caressed his own withered skin. “There are many people who wear the green mark. They’re the protectors of power—objects that would hurt human beings if they stumbled across them. But your mark was given out sparingly. Gifted to only those who protect people, you are even allowed to use powerful objects to save people, if necessary.” He smiled. “Do you know the ones with your mark are the only ones allowed to protect the Gem of Heaven?”
Leah didn’t move an inch when Neith let out a gasp from her place across the room. She kept her focus on the golden-brown eyes, willing him not to turn around.
He didn’t.
She could almost see the desire burning in the depths of Bauer’s soul. The emotions weren’t for her as a woman, Leah knew that. He burned for the power that lived inside her; a power she would never confess to. He had faith that she was the one and only human being on the planet who could completely destroy him. And for the first time, Leah glimpsed the tiniest spark of fear in his eyes.
“Neith seems surprised that I would know of such a gem.”
“Never heard of it,” Leah lied. “But you’re right. I don’t believe in things without proof. Which means there would be no way anyone would choose me to guard people or some stupid stone that I could care less about. If that were the case, Bauer, they would’ve picked Gareth. He has faith in everything.”
Daniel shook his head in disappointment. “Such a waste. All that power and you’ll never do anything with it.” Lifting his hand, he brushed it against the side of her now burning hot cheek. “You’re so beautiful. You are a flower among the weeds, my Leah.”
She felt the energy. It was as if a bolt of electricity came from within her closed fist, causing her body to tingle. Opening her fingers slowly, she glimpsed the small white flower.
“What’s that?” Daniel inquired.
Leah paused. “A caretaker gave it to me in Kissamos.”
“Really? Kissamos? I hear that’s a nice place.” Daniel looked away, seeming disinterested in every word she had to say.
She followed his gaze upward. There, upon the head of a hand-carved Minotaur, rested what she could only assume was the long-sought-after crown. She shuddered as he reached up to retrieve it.
“Please go on, Leah. I’m listening.”
But as Leah kept her focus on the smooth, polished headpiece that’d been up for grabs since the beginning, she found herself once again confused. The circle that’d been carved into the tree back in Pergamon had been sharp, as if small spikes had been part of the crown’s design.
Quickly, Daniel’s other hand disappeared into his pocket and emerged with the familiar green stone.
“That’s mine, you know,” she said. No longer white, the gem had returned to being a brilliant emerald. No longer flat, it had re-formed into the stunning teardrop that it had been when Gareth first placed it around her neck. “It was bought for me.”
“I do know,” he snorted. “But when you come with me, I’ll be more than happy to buy you anything you want. Hell, I’ll buy you your very own diamond mine, if you wish. I’ll even get you Cleopatra’s.”
Leah squeezed the stem of the flower. What had once felt dainty and soft as suede had now turned into a freezing cold pebble in her sweaty hand. “Come with you?”
Daniel’s lecherous gaze caused her soul to grow frigid. “You will come with me and live the life of luxury, Leah. Together we have more power than anyone. Of course, you do have choices. Stay here and be buried by Gareth Lowery’s pathetic side; or, walk out of here with me and get it all.” He sighed heavily. “It’s a tough decision, isn’t it?”
An unorthodox idea began to flash like a disco ball inside her mind. “Do you know about him?” With her words, it was as if she was being pulled backwards. Her spine seemed to harden, as the ground suddenly trembled beneath her feet.
“Him?” he repeated. “Please don’t tell me there’s another admirer of yours who I’ll be forced to destroy?”
Leah’s focus was like a radar honed in on Bauer. “The Archangel.”
Daniel grinned. “Excuse me?”
The sound of her own voice grew distant. “The battle. He and Lucifer. That stone you have there was actually torn from Michael’s wings. That gem is good. Powerful, but good. The only thing that can turn it evil is—”
“The crown,” Bauer finished with a sneer.
Leah shook her head. “The crown’s just a thing; useless. The only thing that makes it evil is the head that wears it. You can still attain the power, but be a decent man. Which means you have a choice, too.”
She watched Daniel freeze in place. In her eyes, his body was growing smaller. “Then convert me, Leah.”
She paused. “I’m a hero’s companion, not the hero.” Her hand tingled with a sudden fire, burning hotter with every word she spoke, like an outside force was urging her to continue. The Michaelmas daisy grew heavy in her hand, as she felt the stem grow.
“I can’t convert or correct you, Daniel. There’s only one who can make that decision and his artillery is far stronger than Athena’s shield.”
Her voice grew louder, her determination stronger, as she felt the sharp blade touch the palm of her hand, growing out between her fingers. “He held the double-edged sword that cast your idol out of Heaven. He beat him.” She leaned in; the air in her lungs felt like fire when she whispered, “And if you don’t stop this, Daniel, he’ll do the same to you.”
He grinned. “I’m sorry, love. But I’d make a far better demon than an angel.”
As if a switch had flipped, Leah felt a bolt of electricity run through her limbs. Her body was moving, but not by her own command. A powerful force jerked her hand upward, and the blade she was holding pierced the sparkling emerald that now sat in the center of the crown. Bright green chips exploded in Leah’s face and she fell backward, feeling like she was falling into a deep, black abyss.
“No!” She heard Bauer scream. He grasped the now empty crown
as it fell to the floor, and ran to retrieve Athena’s shield. Raising it high in the air, he jumped on top of Leah, separating their bodies with the unbreakable breastplate.
Leah could hear what sounded like an angry chorus of angels screaming and shouting all around her. And then…all went quiet. Returning from the trancelike state, she looked up at the heavy weight that sat on top of her, and met eyes filled with absolute wrath.
The eerie smile was one of danger as his lips came crashing down on hers. Leah felt a sudden burst of heat, as if a flame raced through his parted lips and into the depths of her soul. The incredible shot of power made her insides boil.
In seconds, Bauer jumped up and away. Keeping the shield clasped in his hands, the smooth onyx crown now dangled from his arm like a useless toy.
Awash in pain, she barely spotted Gareth reach out and once again throw Athena’s spear. The force was great, the aim was sure, heading directly between the enemy’s eyes. But it was too late. Bauer saw the incoming threat and blocked it.
Gareth ran at him, but Daniel used the shield to deflect the attack, sending Gareth’s body flying back across the cave floor.
Leah finally found her voice. She screamed, watching the man she loved knocked unconscious by the ferocious blow.
Bauer lifted Athena’s spear from the floor and raised it in the air, readying himself to plunge the weapon into Gareth’s heart. But Leah could still feel the hilt of the sword clutched in her hand. Standing up, drawing on some invisible strength she could not fathom, Leah held the gleaming blue sword out in front of her, waiting for the power of its owner to come through and strike Bauer down.
“Don’t do it, Leah,” she heard a voice call out behind her.
Turning, she watched her father walk into the cave. His hand was held high. In it, was the smallest piece of wood she had ever seen, yet her father was holding it as if it was a dangerous weapon.
Bauer scowled at her father like he was nothing more than a court jester. “You’re going to kill me with a stick?” He laughed so hard Leah thought he would double over and fall to the ground. “Be my guest. But I think your daughter holds the real weapon in her hands.”
