The Book of Eden: The Keepers Series, Book Two

by Alex Temples

  Now for the hard part. I coughed, glancing to Claire. She nodded encouragingly.

  “She is being held captive, along with the other Keepers. Unfortunately, we don’t know where they’re being held, or even if they’re alive.” I said, lowering my voice.

  The curly-haired woman in pink spoke up. “My mother is dead.”

  Several gasps came from the small group.

  I turned towards the woman who’d spoken, trying to keep from reacting to her words. “How do you know that?” I asked softly, frowning.

  Tristan’s voice answered from behind me. “Gloria’s mother was killed to send my mother a warning.” His voice was grave as he crossed the room towards us,

  Siddarth and Nia trailed behind.

  Gloria nodded, her face stoic. When she spoke, her voice was measured and steady. “My mother was a good friend to Queen Aelwen. I was not surprised when the queen sent word the dark fae had killed her.” Sorrow crept into her voice. “It is devastating, but my mother has prepared me for her loss my entire childhood. Mama had the sight, you see. She saw her end was near not a few months ago. She didn’t know how it would happen, just that it would.” She paused. “I wish she’d known it was the dark ones. Then, she could have warned the queen.” She said, shaking her head sadly.

  I moved forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “It couldn’t have been helped. The dark fae have been planning this for too long. No one could have prevented what happened. I’m so sorry for your loss, Gloria.”

  Gloria swallowed, nodding her thanks and squeezing my hand in return.

  I turned to Tristan and raised an eyebrow. He gestured for me to continue. This was my show. Alrighty then. I squared my shoulders, and faced the group.

  “What happened to Gloria’s mother could happen to any of our mothers. It’s hard to say, and I hope desperately it does not come to pass, but it very well could. As you know, the Keepers are the only ones who can perform the solstice ceremony that maintains the wall between the worlds. It was because the summer solstice ceremony was interrupted that the dark fae were able to put a crack in the wall.”

  Murmuring arose from the group. I raised my hand for silence.

  “We’ve been searching for the missing keepers for the last few months, since they disappeared from the castle in Luxembourg, where they were being held. We don’t know where they currently are. Tomorrow that could change, but we’ve come to a point where we need to ensure there is a back-up plan, in the event we are unable to find them in time for the winter solstice.”

  The group went silent. The air hung heavy with unspoken questions. I could have cut through their curiosity with a knife.

  “After much discussion with Tristan, and several other members of the queen’s council, we’ve decided to install you as the new Keepers.”

  There were several gasps, then the questions began. I tried to pick out what they were saying, but everyone was talking at once.

  “Quiet down.” Nia said, stepping forward. “Your questions will be answered, but everyone needs to be quiet so we can explain. Then we’ll take questions.”

  I smiled gratefully at her.

  “As I was saying, the plan is to install you as Keepers, so you’ll be able to perform the solstice ceremony. According to Nia, this has never been done. We’ve never had more than seven keepers at the same time. However, there is nothing preventing it.”

  “What do you mean there’s nothing preventing it. What about the amulets?” A small voice asked.

  I glanced over at the girl in the flight jacket, who asked the question.

  “Sayumi, right?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “That’s a good question.” I affirmed. “As you know, there are only seven amulets. These contain goddess-given magic, and serve to protect Keepers from both mortals and fae. The amulets are a protective measure, and not necessary for the ceremony to fortify the wall. We also learned recently, they aren’t invincible against dark magic.”

  Sayumi’s eyes widened, but before she could speak, Nia interrupted.

  “As you know, one wearing the amulet cannot be harmed by mortal or fae. That’s why your mothers are hostages, and not already dead. The obvious exception is Gloria’s mother. We don’t know for sure how the dark fae were able to kill her, but the Queen believes your mother may have removed the necklace willingly, which is the only way the amulet could have left her neck.”

  Gloria’s brow crinkled slightly at the news.

  Nia continued. “Gloria, can you think of any reason your mother would have removed her amulet?”

  Gloria frowned. “Mama was seeing someone. He was fae. I never felt right about him. I told her as much, but she was in love. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with her death.”

  Nia nodded, her eyes darkening. “I’ll talk with you later to get more information on this man.”

  Gloria nodded and Nia turned to the rest of the group.

  “If your mothers don’t remove their necklaces willingly, they cannot be killed. Since we don’t know where they are, the fate of the mortal realm, and the Crystal court rests in your hands. You will be installed as Keepers. It will be your responsibility to carry out the solstice ceremony in December. Brinmar has proved to be a fast learner. I have no doubt she will be an able leader.”

  Nia smiled at me.

  I dropped my eyes to the hardwood, embarrassed by the praise. I was still a newcomer to their world, a student, whereas these other descendants had been raised with the knowledge and training on the magical world that I lacked.

  “Thank you, Nia.” I said, turning to face the others. “I know everyone has traveled a long way. I imagine you all need rest, and time to digest this information. What we’re asking is both difficult and incredibly dangerous. You all have a choice to make. You must choose whether you want to take part in the solstice ceremony. We won’t force you to participate. I’ll understand if you want to return home tomorrow.”

  The group was silent for a moment. Several of them looked skeptically from me to Nia, then to each other.

  Nia, Tristan and I stood, silently watching.

  Claire hopped off her barstool. “I’m already in this.” She announced, moving to join me at the front of the room. “I’ve only know Brin a couple short days, but what I’ve seen is a strong, fearless leader. Is she new to the magical world? Yes, but that didn’t keep her from uncovering the location of those pages you hold. Pages that have remained hidden for centuries.” Claire said. Her eyes moved slowly over the group, pausing briefly on each person.

  The mummering began again in earnest, as they discussed among themselves. The German man eyed me out of the corner of his eye, his curiosity evident.

  “It didn’t keep her from performing a powerful summoning spell with me to reveal a hidden portal.” Claire continued.

  I felt several more pairs of eyes move to me, as I stood silently at her side.

  Claire paused, drawing out the suspense. “And it didn’t’ stop her from locating one of the four treasures of the fae, the cauldron of Dagda-”

  “-and healing me with it.” Tristan finished, stepping forward to place a hand on my shoulder.

  There was a collective gasp from the group.

  Gloria stood silently. She crossed the short distance and joined Claire at my side.

  “I stand with you, as my mother stood with yours.” She said, head held high. Her eyes met mine and I saw her strength.

  I nodded to her in acknowledgement.

  “I am honored to stand with you, Gloria.”

  The German man stood then, stepping forward.

  “Brin, I am Nikolaus, but you may call me Nick. I’m honored to meet Rosaina’s daughter. My mother has always spoken highly of yours. I understand her to be a woman of honor. I will join you in this fight against darkness, not because you have done great things these last few weeks, though you should be commended for your quick learning and your willingness to fight for the
light.” He said.

  He nodded, bowing slightly at the waist.

  I nodded back, but didn’t speak, curious to hear what he had to say.

  “I will join you in the fight against darkness because as Keepers, it is our duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves, even if it means risking our lives to do so. If we do not fight the darkness, we are no better than those we aim to defeat.”

  I stood silently for a moment, touched by his words.

  “I would be honored to fight beside you, Nick.”

  The large man moved to my side and turned to face the crowd. Equally touched by his words, the four other keepers stood as one.The girl with the purple hair stepped forward and bowed.

  “I am Sayumi, and I am honored to join you, Brin.”

  I smiled, acknowledging her with a nod. “Thank you, Sayumi. I am honored to have you.”

  The Turkish keeper came next. She was shy and quiet as she took my hand. Her reserved demeanor in direct contrast to the wild black locks cascading down her back, and the fierceness with which she’d fought in the cemetery. Her eyes were fringed with thick lashes. I couldn’t help but think these strong features were out of place on the small woman, but when she shook my hand her grip was firm and she met my eyes with a steady gaze.

  “Esma.” She said, shaking my hand. “It is good to meet you, Brin. I saw what you did in the cemetery and was very impressed. You have my loyalty.”

  “Thank you, Esma.”

  The last keeper stepped forward. She smiled warmly. As she did, her plain face transformed. She took my hand in hers with a kind smile.

  “I am Ana.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Ana.”

  We shook.

  “I think I speak for all when I say there was never a doubt we would join you in this fight, Brin. You have fought bravely these past few months without us. My only regret is that we could not stand by your side sooner.”

  I nodded at her, feeling a prickling of tears at the back of my eyes. I bit back the emotion. I was touched by the kindness of these strangers I’d only just met, by their willingness to accept the danger and uncertainty of the task ahead, and the leadership of someone they’d just met.

  I turned to Tristan who stood with Nia and Siddarth.

  “I think this calls for a round of drinks.” I announced.

  Tristan flashed me a wide smile. There were chuckles in the group around me. Oren brought up the bottle of scotch and several bottles of wine that hadn’t been destroyed during the break-in.

  We passed out plastic cups, and under the light of the full moon, we stood together, staring out the ballroom window towards at deep black waters of the Potomac.

  In solidarity, we raised our glasses.

  “To the light.” Tristan said, raising his glass in the air.

  “May it always triumph over darkness.” I added.

  Everyone lifted their glass with jovial cries. There was a tumbling of words in many languages. As we drank, the great gulfs between us became irrelevant. We focused on the one thing we shared - a truth that has united many men before us, and would unite many more when we were gone.

  We drank to the uncertainty of it all, to the fragility that was life, the delicate balance of good versus evil. We drank to the certainty that freedom from tyranny and oppression was all that truly mattered. We drank to the deep, human need to live and let live, and to our shared commitment to stamp out anything that would prevent us from doing so.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “What do you mean, Is he single?” I asked Tomas, eyebrow raised as I glanced to where Nick stood in my kitchen, manning the griddle.

  Tomas and I were sitting on my new sofa, watching as the big German man expertly shifted from flipping pancakes to scrambling eggs. “How do you even know he’s gay?”

  Tomas turned to me, a knowing look on his face. “Oh, he’s gay”

  Nick looked up then, catching Tomas’s eye from across the room. Tomas flashed a dimpled smile and I could have sworn the German man blushed as he turned back to his work.

  I shook my head in amazement.

  We were all gathered for breakfast. My third floor had been converted into a dormitory of sorts over the last couple days. We’ve run to Ikea for furniture, and transformed the space overnight.

  Half the room was lined with sofa beds. The other half held a massive table surrounded by chairs. We’d spread all our papers on the table and were taking turns going through the old manuscripts, looking for any hints as to where the remining two artifacts were located.

  The new keepers had integrated well into our rag-tag group over the last week. We had a sort of rhythm to the days now. We’d been taking turns cooking and cleaning. I’d been pleasantly surprised to learn that there were some excellent cooks in the group. I, unfortunately, was not among them.

  Nick had delighted us with rich potato and meat dishes. Sayumi had an affinity for throwing together bowls of fresh vegetables and herbs with whatever seafood she found at the market down the street. She’d even humored us last night by teaching us how to make sushi rolls and create perfectly fried tempura vegetables.

  Esma had been horrified to discover the brew I thought of as perfectly decent coffee. She’d insisted on demonstrating how to make coffee the right way, as she put it. The right way involved a complicated process of boiling the coffee in an ibrik until it foamed, which resulted in a lot more coffee flavor than I usually liked with my cream. I’d conceded to drinking it eventually, in dire need of caffeine to fuel our long nights. At least Turkish coffee involved copious amounts of sugar.

  Despite a few cultural gaffes, we seemed to be making the most of our forced togetherness, and slowly, we were starting to feel less and less like strangers. Between us, we spoke at least twelve languages, though Nick spoke more than any one person. He was fluent in German, English, French, Flemish and Luxembourgish. I thought if we had to travel together, we’d be okay pretty much anywhere in the world.

  After a unproductive morning examining the pages, we were just finishing breakfast.

  “Brin?” A quiet voice called from behind me. I twisted in my seat to see Esma standing in the doorway.

  “Yes?”

  She was holding a few crinkled pages of the book in her hand and staring at me expectantly. “Did you notice in here the reference to standing stones?”

  I perked up, and felt Tomas shift curiously. This made me smile. Tomas hadn’t even batted an eye at all the fae activity around him. He had a roll with the punches take on life, and didn’t seem at all surprised mortals weren’t alone in the world.

  In fact, I had a feeling Tomas was interested in getting more involved with the magical world, which was fine by me. I’d take all the mortal back-up I could get. Though I knew now I wasn’t mortal, but in fact a half-magic, when talking about mortals and fae, I mentally grouped myself with the former.

  I bit my lip as I considered Esma’s question. Standing stones. Hmm. I knew I’d read something about standing stones at one point, but had written it off as being irrelevant. We already knew the fae had used standing stones as portals to the otherworld throughout the ages. What could standing stones have to do with the artifacts? Particularly when the artifacts were rumored to be hidden in the mortal realm.

  “I think there was one reference to standing stones in the first few pages of the book, but I hadn’t noticed anything that relates to us finding the artifacts.” I said, scooting forward in my seat. “Why, what did you find?”

  Esma shrugged, crossing the room so she could hand me the pages. “It might be nothing, but something about it feels…as if someone is trying to say two things, while only saying one.”

  I nodded and took the pages. I recognized them immediately. They were the same pages I’d kept hesitating over the night Claire and I had found the cup. My gaze shot to her face. “Where?” I asked.

  Wordlessly, Esma pointed to the last few lines of text, and I knew she was on to something. They referred t
o several fae heritage sites. The text discussed how each locations played an important role in maintaining the wall between the worlds and safeguarding fae heritage. There was no mention of standing stones at the sites, though now that I thought about it, I knew several did in fact have stones. My missing knowledge of the others had prevented me from seeing the pattern.

  “Are there standing stones at these sites?” I asked, pointing to the few I didn’t recognized.

  Esma shrugged. “I know there are standing stones at most of them, but I am not sure about the others. It was one of the few things I thought the sites had in common, so it seemed noteworthy. We’re looking for treasured fae objects. It seems only natural they would guard such objects in places where their magic is strongest.” She said, with a frown, before adding. “Where the goddess magic is strongest.”

  I glanced over the page, examining the list of names. Then, I raised my head and turned towards the kitchen. “Nick, can you please go get the others and bring them down here?”

  Nick nodded, untying his apron and laying it down on the breakfast bar. “Sure, boss. Happy to.”

  I watched as he made his way up the stairs, then I turned to Tomas.

  “Do you recognize any of these sites?”

  Tomas took the paper from my hands, reading through the names.

  “I think that one right there is what they call the statues at Easter Island.” He said, pointing to a name I couldn’t pronounce.

  I nodded.

  The three of us huddled over the list, willing it to reveal its secrets. It didn’t take long for the other keepers to appear, with Nick trailing after them. I explained what we were trying to decipher and passed the list around.

  “This site contains megaliths.” Gloria announced. “Namoratunga is a site in Kenya, not far from a lake I vacation at. There are 19 megaliths arranged in a circle of sorts. I think you’re on the right track, but you’re looking at this with too narrow a focus.”