"Should we be prepared for a fight?" Eisha reluctantly asked.
"Crapola. This is not going as planned."
“Not much ever does, My Goddess.”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded to Eisha while Kevan close his eyes. He threw the stones in the air, and as the map appeared on his skin the energy shot out of my Spear of Light pushing them into place around us. The light illuminated the room as we disappeared.
"Where are we?" I asked, staring at the back of a four-story mansion big enough to be considered a castle. We were on a mountain for sure, as the backyard consisted of innumerable tall pine trees with thick foliage, providing a discreet cover among the other houses.
“In the historic mansion district, atop Capitol Hill.”
I nodded while he walked towards a tree on our left. It looked just like the rest, but we soon discovered it wasn't a tree at all. Kevan pulled at the bark, and a small door opened. A hand scanner like those I'd seen in the movies was set inside. A green light dimly glowed as he pressed his palm to the screen, then a small blue light shone on top and Kevan leaned closer allowing it to scan his eye.
"Damn, you'd think we are going to the freaking Pentagon or something." Lia half-joked. A second compartment opened in the tree, and Kevan began punching keys on a small keyboard within.
My gaze returned to the mansion. We were far enough from the house, that we could see all of its pompous glory. It was beautiful actually; it resembled an Italian village with what seemed like carved stone columns and terraces on every floor. Roman motifs where visible everywhere, from the laurel wreaths, to the painted tiles, and even in the two giant lions that sat at each side of the driveway. All the details complemented the architecture, except for a vast terrace that lay on top of the home. Its sleek, and modern glass structure completely clashed with the rest of the mansion. Based on the satellite looking antennas placed on the roof, I assumed that’s where we needed to be.
“I know this estate.” Art announced moving closer to me. “It was originally owned by Samuel Hill.”
“An architect?” Lia asked, but he shook his head.
“He was an American businessman, lawyer, railroad executive, and advocate of good roads in the Pacific Northwest. He substantially influenced the economic and architectural development of this region in the early 20th century. Ironically, one of his most famous architectural projects was the…”
“The Maryhill Stonehenge,” Kevan said at the same time. “I know,” He added almost pained.
“It’s a replica of England’s Stonehenge located in Maryhill, Washington,” Art continued. “He dedicated the monument in 1918, as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War I.”
“How do you know all this, brother?” Cyn’s thoughts mirrored mine.
Art offered us a small smile. “I’ll explain later.”
“I assume the real Stonehenge is another of the Druid’s natural portals?” Kevan asked, closing the hidden doors on the tree.
Art nodded. “Rumor has it Samuel was a very spiritual man, and had great respect for ancient civilizations like the Druids.”
“If Samuel only knew what his estate has been used for all this time.” They both said in unison, and Art glared at Kevan stepping forward.
Kevan's arm stopped him from walking past the tree, but Art wrenched it away from his chest. Lia, Eisha and I sighed loudly; these two were going to drive us crazy. Kevan ignored him, and began counting down from five while looking at his watch. The moment he reached one, a charge of energy rushed through the line of trees in front of us, then it disappeared. "High voltage security fence." He informed. "It's the last thing to deactivate. Now it's safe to cross."
“Jesus! What the hell did you guys think the Druids were going to do to you?” Lia complained, walking forward as we all moved.
“Probably what they deserved,” Art mumbled walking beside her, not bothering to thank Kevan for saving him from the invisible fence.
“We don’t have much time,” Kevan said, pointing towards the roof. “Do you see the outside of the double glass doors on the top of the house?” I nodded. “That’s the grid. Take us there, now.”
The light in my staff ignited, and in a blink, we stood outside. Kevan kicked the doors, and they flew open. "I always wanted to do that."
The men inside stood from the desks startled as we walked in. Cyn and I entered first and immediately they pointed their guns at us.
“Seriously?” I asked, as they rushed us ready to fire. My left hand lifted as colorful rays shot out of my Spear of Light. They connected with the men’s chests, blowing them back and slamming them against the wall. They fell on the floor in a heap of arms and legs, the guns flying out of their hands, but quickly recovered. I held them back as they stood, while the man closer to us—probably the one “in charge” at the moment—pointed his gun at me. Wrong. Move. Buddy.
In a split second, Cyn’s bow and arrow materialized, and the sharp edge of his arrow stopped barely an inch away from the man’s forehead. Cyn moved so fast the guy didn’t even register it.
“I assure you that my arrow shall pierce your head, faster than your bullet will reach my wife. Are you willing to gamble your life on this day?” Cyn’s voice was almost a hiss.
"Oh shit," Lia whispered, and I winked at her. "That's my man."
The man's hand slightly trembled, but he held his stance. His eyes roamed the space as though he was calculating his next move. They focused on my glowing staff, then widened when Kevan walked in from behind me.
“High Priests trump gun each time, dude.” Kevan sauntered towards him, as the man froze. “You should know that by now, asshole.”
“Impossible. They are the High Priests?” the man whispered shocked.
"Yep. The one thing you feared the most. Ironic, isn't it. All this tech, and you couldn't stop what you were all hired to do. Oh, you should probably bow, by the way." Amusement filtered through Cyn and I. Kevan was totally enjoying this.
The man’s gaze shifted to us filling with disgust. “The rumors were true. You have turned. The Druids are with you.” He spat the words towards us, as though it were venom.
"No," Kevan said, pulling the gun from his hand. "I am with them.” His fist connected with the guy’s jaw and he went down cold.
“Lights out,” Lia said, impressed.
“And that is my man,” Lia and I chuckled at Eisha’s words.
Kevan grinned. "I've always hated that guy." He faced the men I had backed against the wall, and we walked closer to him. Some were struggling to break free.
“I can do this all day,” I said, gripping my staff firmly.
"Good luck with that," Kevan added smugly. "You had every reason to fear their magic. There's no fucking way you are escaping from there. Now tell me. Are there any other guards downstairs?"
"No, Mr. Cornelli."
"Sir, we will help you." Two of the men answered quickly, and Kevan suddenly walked to them as though recognizing them.
"They were in the last battle. They didn't hurt anyone." Kevan informed looking at Cyn, and I focused on them. "Can we trust you?"
The men nodded. “We swear.”
Kevan looked at me, and I visualized my light receding just from the two of them, leaving the other five engulfed. The men stumbled forward as the hold disappeared and straightened. "Lia," I called as I watched them talk to Kevan. "Can you please use your ability to read their Auras and the rest? We need to know who is a threat."
"Of course." She stood closer to the two who spoke to Kevan, and her eyes began to glow. After a couple of minutes, she looked at us and nodded. "They are soldiers for sure, ex-military maybe, but not evil like the other douchebags. You can trust them, just don't be stupid."
I forced myself to not roll my eyes at her. Lia walked to the back wall, Art moved beside her like her shadow, while Kevan quickly checked the monitors around us, then began typing frantically into one of the computers. The room was large and looked like something you wou
ld find at NASA. There were screens and computers everywhere, monitoring what seemed like different parts of the world. Some showed satellite images, while others exhibited real offices and the people working in them.
My gaze returned to the two men by Kevan's side. They seemed shocked at what Lia knew about them, since they weren't in any uniform, but the more I looked at them, the more they looked like military. Their posture, the way they talked.
"Okay, all systems have been cleared, the other branches don't know what is happening here," Kevan informed, approaching us with the two men, and interrupting my assessment. "I stopped a signal that was sent by Mario—he motioned to the guy knocked out on the floor—before it reached anyone else to alert them we were here. Since this is the main grid, we are the ones that monitor The Brotherhood. This space is now secured. Is there a way to prevent the others from listening?” He added, looking towards the back wall as Lia finished her inspection. She cringed, shaking her head adamantly and I sighed.
“Yes,” Cyn answered taking my hand, our joined energy hummed, rushing through us and amplifying his ability. “À sealladh.” Suddenly, the glow from my staff transformed to a shimmery looking wave that wrapped around them, adding a second layer to their hold. It reminded me of the way the concealing spell usually looked over our bodies. “They cannot see us or hear us anymore. I used a reverse invisibility spell on them.”
"Thanks," Kevan answered getting straight to business. "There are no other guards in the mansion. The guys' Intel was correct. This was the only team here to protect the grid, while they figured out what to do next. It’s only been a little over two weeks since the battle, and the loss of my Father and Agustina has The Brotherhood distressed.” The change in his voice when he mentioned his father was unmistakable; it filled with pain, yet he continued looking at the men by his side. “Agustina made a point to only hire high ranking ex-military as her security team. Any members who are not Roman are hired guns.”
Cyn and I exchanged a glance. “We are Cynwrig and Brina Bressall, and we are the High Priests of the last standing Order of The Druids.”
The weight of Cyn's words fell on the men as it did on us. They squared their shoulders, and gave us an awkward nod, like they weren't sure what they were supposed to do. They looked us straight in the eyes. "I’m John, and this is Ralph. Like Felix and your friend said, we are ex-military. More specifically, DEVGRU—SEAL Team Six—we served three tours in Iraq together, and completed several other missions under my command. First, please let me assure you that until a year ago—when we first encountered your kind at the battle of the lake in Arizona—we had no idea of what The Brotherhood was doing. We didn’t know magic existed. They hired us right after we left the force, as private security intelligence, which is not uncommon for retired military with our skills. They had us under the impression that we were helping track a terrorist organization off the books, so we used all our talents to help in their endeavor, until that battle where you created tornadoes from pure grief.”
My chest tightened at the memory, while the men exchanged a stern glance. That was the day Grandpa died, and it was hard to believe it had been almost a year. Their fists clenched with the memory.
"We are sorry for your loss." I nodded offering them a small smile. "It was clear to us then, this was all a farce, and instead we were working for terrorists," Ralph added, seeming pissed. "We did not sign up for that.”
"Afterwards, we decided to use our place among the Romans, and the resources at our fingertips to investigate what was happening. The veil held over our eyes came crashing down, when we realized there was a whole world—most people only read about—that we were now experiencing." John looked at us, a glint of amazement entered his eyes.
“We were in for a rude awakening and this only became more obvious, when we saw you and the Fairy Warriors during the battle in the Amazon Rainforest. What you all can do…” Ralph trailed off looking at my staff. “We believed Druids were extinct, and even then, we never thought the legends about magic were true.”
"During the battle, we were relieved to see that Felix was fighting by your side, which reinforced our belief that The Brotherhood were the monsters here. After I saw him, I ordered my men to stand down that day.” John continued. “The rest of my SEAL Team is currently scattered throughout the other branches. We were assigned to different countries when hired. There are also retired Delta Force that I know personally, who were brought in by Agustina at my commendation. In the last two weeks, Ralph and I have been secretly communicating with them, and exchanging Intel on what is happening. The other branches are lost. Some, have even begun fighting amongst themselves, about who will be the head of the organization, now that the Founders are gone.”
“But no one will dare make a move just yet, because they know The Brotherhood is run by blood, and I'm still alive," Kevan said certainly.
John nodded. "Most don't believe the rumors that you have ‘turned' against them, and they hope you'll return to lead them. Some still believe the Druids are holding you captive; others say you might even be dead. They are using that to support their argument in trying to take over."
"Which branch?" Kevan asked, and Ralph's eyes focused on him. "Italy. I received a communication from them yesterday but didn't tell Mario about it. They are the ones trying to make a move to take over, since…"
“They have a direct descendant of the third in command from the original Roman army.” Kevan finished for him.
“Caesar’s reasoning is that with you out of the picture, his is the next bloodline fit to rule.”
“Who was the descendant of the second in command?” I asked, instantly knowing the answer.
"Cassius," Kevan, Cynwrig and I answered at the same time.
"And Julius," Kevan added. "They were cousins and Agustina and Dad's right hand. They grew up together, so they trusted them blindly."
“That is why Lia and I were taken to them when the Romans kidnapped us.” Kevan nodded.
"High Priests," John said, calling our attention to him. He nodded awkwardly again not knowing what to do, and Cyn and I silently chuckled. "I just want you to know, that whatever your plan is, we are with you. My men and the Delta Force who have infiltrated the organization, will support you in whatever you decide to do. No one has discovered we communicate secretly throughout the branches, and we can keep it that way. We are all on your side.”
“We are pleased to hear that, John.”
Cyn said with a nod just as I felt a tug on my essence. I was exhausting myself with the amount of magic I was using to the keep the others against the wall.
"We need to do something with them," I told the others, sensing that at any moment my energy would begin to fade.
Art nudged Lia behind him, and his swords materialized, so did Eisha's axes. The two moved forward in unison, and assumed fighting stances before the men, weapons ready, basically daring them to do something stupid.
“Maybe I can’t do this all day,” I whispered letting go of the magic. My staff instantly disappeared, and I suddenly stumbled sideways, as a wave of weakness rushed through my body all at once. Kevan caught me in his arms, stabilizing me. I looked into his eyes as his skin began to glow. He smiled while my body tingled, and the strength slowly returned. He was replenishing my energy.
"Felix… how?" Ralph asked startled, realizing Kevan also had magic.
“His name is Kevan now, and he’s one of us.” I smiled at them finally able to stand again.
"My Mother, Ailidh, was part of their clan. Dad fell in love with her while she was captive here, and I was born with this ability in my veins. I'm a Master Healer." Kevan answered with a shrug. "After the Druids ‘took me' I learned the truth about my Mother and who I was. That’s why today I stand beside them."
Cyn patted his back appreciatively and took my hand. “What now?” I asked looking at the others. They seemed pissed out of their minds.
"Now we take them to the cells downstairs," Kevan said, handi
ng the gun he took from Mario to Ralph. "Accompany Art and Eisha with the prisoners to the cell blocks in the basement, and lock them there." Ralph nodded.
"We do not take prisoners," Cyn argued.
"Then consider it a soul-searching retreat," Kevan countered. "We can't risk letting them go, and warn the others as to what we are trying to do. We need for everything to remain the same so they don't suspect a thing, and keeping them here is our only option."
“I do not like this, My Goddess.”
"I know, but he's right. We need to rescue Leigh, and we can't afford the others finding out, and do something to hurt him, before we can get to him. We can do it like when you kept Kevan away from the others. No one will harm them, we just can’t let them go just yet."
Cyn took a deep breath and reluctantly nodded. “Do as Kevan instructed, but bear in mind that we are only holding them here to prevent a worse outcome. You are to tend to them, feed them and make sure they are all right at all times. No harm shall come to them. I will not tolerate that.” He spoke firmly, staring down at Ralph who nodded.
"Yes, Sir." He said, with a military salute and moved to the wall opening a safe, and taking out a set of keys. He moved to the back and grabbed the arm of one of the men, while Art and Eisha nudged the other four.
“Take the elevator to the basement, the cells are on the left,” Kevan told Eisha who nodded walking out.
“What about him?” I pointed to Mario on the floor.
"I'll come back for him," Ralph said, disappearing out the door.
“So what exactly is the plan?” John asked.
"We need to find out where they are holding, Leigh, our priority is to rescue him," I informed. "Can you help us?"
John cursed under his breath. “He was here until a week ago when he was moved. I don’t know where they took him, but one thing is for sure. They are not given him the same treatment you Priests are offering them.” He nodded to the door. “He was badly beaten by the time they took him from here.”
“Shit,” Lia whispered standing beside me.
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