Light's Rise (Light in the Darkness Book 1)

by Yvette Bostic

  “Juana!” Eli yelled in her direction as he barreled into the group emerging from the entrance. “Can you send a large enough fireball into the mine to make it collapse?”

  “Yes!” she yelled back. “Keep them off me for a few minutes, and nothing will survive the inferno I intend to throw into that pit.”

  Adalina appeared at her side and nodded, slicing at one demon and blocking the swing of another. With Eli on one side and Adalina on the other, Juana gathered the essence from the forest around her and forced it into an enormous, raging ball of fire, which she launched into the mouth of the mine. It was several seconds before the earth shook and a wave of heat rushed back at them, throwing them to the ground. Eli and Adalina jumped to their feet and killed the few remaining demons. Then Eli knelt beside Juana and picked her up. She smiled at him with exhaustion.

  “Great idea!” she said.

  He smiled back. “It worked perfectly. Let’s go home.”

  Chapter 22

  Eli, Juana, and Adalina arrived back in Santuario about a week after Cyrus and I returned from Paris. We had all waited, rather impatiently, for them to return and were anxious to hear of their experience. We were all crowded into Mikel’s office once again, which made me smile.

  “Please tell us what you found,” Mikel said after we were settled.

  “We found two villages along the Russian border. Most of their people were taken by the Csökkent,” Eli began. “We destroyed all of the Csökkent and the demons they summoned, but we were too late to save the villagers.”

  “How many demons had they summoned?” Raphael asked.

  “About two hundred,” Juana replied with sadness and anger.

  “They are getting bold,” Adalina said. “The war had not yet reached that area. The Csökkent are normally following the victims of war.”

  “What did you find out in Paris, Darian?” Eli asked.

  I told them of our meeting with Robert and Paulette, then talked about the atmosphere among the common people.

  “There is some discontent among the old aristocracy, but the common people appreciate the changes made by Napoleon’s rule,” I explained. “Something that Robert said has been bothering me, though. He mentioned that Napoleon is promoting people into nobility, which I find difficult to understand.”

  “Maybe he was unable to convince the old families to play by his rules, so he is creating a new ruling class,” Raphael suggested.

  “Maybe, but it appears that at least one of the new nobility is possessed,” I replied.

  “What do you mean?” Mikel asked.

  “I forgot to tell you,” I replied with embarrassment. “Cyrus is able to see someone who is possessed.” Several in the room gasped while Mikel glared at me. “He described it as a smoky fog surrounding the man we saw.”

  “You should have told me as soon as you returned,” Mikel reprimanded. “I hope you at least know his name and how to find him so that we can remove the demon.”

  “I’m sorry, Mikel,” I apologized sincerely. “I was so happy that Robert had not joined Zar’Asur that I forgot. Yes, I know his name, and Robert will know where he lives.”

  “I’d like to talk to Cyrus about his newest ability,” Mikel said thoughtfully, his anger already gone. “I should’ve guessed that he would be able to see them when he said he could see our glow. It’ll also make it easier for you to find our targets, without relying on me to be with you. This will be a huge benefit for us.” The more he talked, then more excited he became. “I wonder if he can also remove the demons.” He tapped his chin as he thought about the benefit of having another person who could also remove demons from those who were possessed.

  I chuckled softly at how quickly he forgot his anger. “We’ll visit Robert and find where our newest target is located.”

  “Before everyone leaves,” Adalina interrupted. “Should we go back to the Russian border to see if there are more villages being attacked by the Csökkent? I don’t think we should assume that those were the only ones.”

  “Yes, I think you should,” Mikel replied. “Take the time you need to rest and resupply. Be sure to let me know when you intend to leave.”

  They all nodded in agreement, and we left.

  Cyrus was sparring with Edwin in the Warriors’ Arena when I approached. Several of the warriors were getting very good at countering our newest fighting style. Their look of triumph when they actually landed a blow reinforced my theory that they enjoyed the challenge.

  I watched Cyrus jump in and out of Edwin’s striking range several times, successfully dodging each of his swings. I noticed that Edwin was developing a pattern to his attacks, luring Cyrus into a false sense of security, and I expected him to catch Cyrus off guard at any moment. Just as Cyrus appeared behind Edwin, instead of turning to engage Cyrus, Edwin mule-kicked him, sending him sprawling onto his back. Cyrus sputtered and coughed as Edwin approached with a wide grin and outstretched hand. Cyrus accepted his hand and pulled himself up.

  “That was dirty!” Cyrus said, rubbing his chest.

  “And your technique is fair?” Edwin asked and they both laughed.

  “If you two are done playing games, Cyrus has work to do,” I said, interrupting their banter.

  Edwin punched Cyrus’s shoulder and laughed again. “Welcome to the team. Now get back to work!”

  Cyrus walked towards me, smiling. “Edwin’s learning all my tricks. I’m going to have to come up with something new, or he might be able to beat me.”

  I smiled at him. “It’s good to see the two of you getting along so well. I was worried about him after Charles’s death.”

  “I never met Charles, but Edwin speaks of him often. They were pretty close, weren’t they?” Cyrus asked.

  “Yes, they were. None of the warriors openly showed their grief, but Edwin became withdrawn for quite some time.”

  “He said the three of you trained together a lot.” I heard the unspoken question in his voice and looked down at him.

  “I blamed myself for Charles’s death, even though I knew that Zar’Asur was the one who killed him,” I said quietly, remembering my guilt. “I also worried that Edwin blamed me as well. But if Charles hadn’t taken Eli and Juana, then someone else would have, and they would’ve suffered the same fate. You’ve been good for both Edwin and me,” I said with a chuckle and changed the subject. “Mikel wants to see you, then we have another assignment.”

  Cyrus’s face become serious. “Why does Mikel want to see me?”

  “We forgot to tell him about Simon,” I said. “But don’t worry, he’s not mad at you for forgetting. He wants to talk to you about your ability to see those who are possessed. You and Mikel are the only ones who can.”

  “Really? I guess I assumed that Aneera could as well,” he said with shock and uneasiness.

  “I’ll meet you at the house to pack, after you see Mikel.” I smiled and left him at the door to the tower. He needed to be comfortable talking with Mikel, so now was as good a time as any to start.

  Thirty minutes later, Cyrus bounded through the door with enthusiasm. I had already packed my bag and sat in the living room, reading a book about Russian history.

  “Mikel is brilliant!” he exclaimed. “I always thought Raphael was the smartest person here, but Mikel must know everything.”

  I chuckled at his exuberance. “I’m glad you had a good talk, and I agree with your assessment. We’d be lost without either of them.”

  “He told me we were going back to Paris to find Simon,” Cyrus said, a little more serious.

  “Yes, we are,” I replied. “Once we find him, I’ll bring Mikel back to remove the demon.”

  “Mikel wants me to come with him,” Cyrus said shyly, “to see if I’m able to remove the demon.”

  “That would be extremely useful if you could,” I said thoughtfully. “Then we wouldn’t have to return for Mikel every time we located someone who was possessed.”

  “I’m nervous about it though,” he
began. “I’ve never fought a demon. What if I can remove it but can’t kill it?”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “There’s a reason that I’m always with Mikel when he does it. Mikel is more powerful than either of us, but we always go in pairs, just in case. I wouldn’t leave you alone with that task either.”

  He smiled at me and went to his room to pack. Within half an hour, we were at the safe house in Paris. We changed into our new suits and headed down to the street.

  “I want to visit Pierre’s shop on our way to Robert’s,” I said as we walked along the river. “If this goes well, I imagine our missions will become much more frequent. Which means we’ll need at least two more sets of clothes.”

  Cyrus’s expression struggled between excitement of being away from Santuario and reluctance to spend another two hours in Pierre’s shop. I grinned at his discomfort.

  Pierre was busy with another customer, but looked up when we entered his shop.

  “Bonjour, Baron Von Schmidt! It is good to see you again,” he exclaimed. “Louis! Escort the baron to our newest line of vests.”

  Louis smiled and led us to the front window while Pierre finished with his customer. We ordered two more suits, one with the newest fashion, which made Pierre very happy.

  “I will have them ready tomorrow afternoon, my lord,” he said with a bow.

  “There is no rush, Pierre,” I replied. “We only require one for each of us tomorrow and will pick up the other later this week.” I watched Louis sigh with relief and smile.

  After we left, I caught Cyrus grinning.

  “What are you grinning about?”

  “Louis does all the work, doesn’t he?” he asked with a chuckle, noticing Louis’s expression as well.

  “Most of it, but he’s well on his way to becoming a great tailor and will likely take over Pierre’s shop. He doesn’t show it openly, but I believe Pierre appreciates his apprentice very much.”

  Robert lived in a very luxurious estate on the west side of Paris. A tall, thin footman with severe features met us at the door, then escorted us to the library to wait for Robert. It was not a large room, but bookshelves lined the walls from ceiling to floor. We didn’t wait for long before Robert joined us.

  “Baron, it’s good to see you again so soon,” he said with a grin. I was beginning to enjoy his subtle sarcasm.

  “Please, call me Darian,” I said with a smile. “Thank you for allowing us to interrupt your morning.”

  He walked to the ornate desk at the end of the room and sat down, opening a drawer and pulling out a box of cigars. He offered one to both of us, but I declined and looked at Cyrus. I knew he had never smoked and hoped he would decline as well. He allayed my fears and politely refused the offer.

  “So, what brings you here today?” Robert asked, motioning for us to sit down in the large leather chairs in front of his desk.

  “I was hoping you could tell me where I might find our friend, Simon,” I replied as I sunk into the soft leather, appreciating its quality.

  “Yes, he has a home just north of here across the river,” Robert replied, and a wrinkle formed between his brow. “But I haven’t seen him since the party the other night. According to one of my wife’s acquaintances, Marie has not been seen either.”

  “Has someone been to the house to check on her?” I asked, suddenly very concerned for her safety.

  “She lives with her aunt, a few houses away from Simon,” Robert said. “Her aunt has been ill for some time, and Marie has overseen her care.” Robert leaned towards us, chewing on his unlit cigar. “The servants have not been out to do their daily shopping since yesterday.”

  “How do you know all this?” I asked, suspecting that he had someone watching the house.

  “We are well acquainted with everyone,” he said dismissively. “And I asked several people in the area to keep an eye on them. I was actually planning to go over this evening, when I found out that the servants had not been out this morning.”

  I looked over at Cyrus to ensure that he understood the conversation, as we had been speaking in French. He nodded.

  “Cyrus and I will go immediately,” I said. “I’ll let you know what we discover.”

  “Are you sure?” Robert asked incredulously. “Her footman will not allow two strange men to call on the ladies of the house without an invitation. I’ve known her family for a long time; I believe he would allow me entry.”

  I smiled at him. “If we cannot gain entry, we’ll come back for you.”

  Robert knew there was more, but he refrained from asking.

  “Thank you for your time and information,” I said. “It’s always a pleasure to see you.” I rose, and Cyrus did as well.

  “I’m not so certain it’s always a pleasure, my friend,” he said with a sarcastic smile. “But each visit becomes more interesting.” He led us to the door and paused. “Be safe and return soon.”

  I nodded, and we left. As soon as we could no longer see Robert’s house, we ducked into a row of bushes and traveled back to the safe house.

  “Let’s change into something more suitable for stealth,” I said to Cyrus. “We need to get to Marie’s quickly.”

  “You’re afraid that he’s killed them, aren’t you?” Cyrus asked, already knowing the answer.

  When we were ready, I turned to Cyrus. “I want to stay concealed as we travel. It wouldn’t turn out well for us if someone saw us materialize in the middle of the street.”

  “I agree, but the farthest north we’ve gone on that side of the river is Le Louvre. Do you know the streets in that area well enough to get us to the address Robert provided?”

  “Yes, I believe so,” I replied. “I’ve looked at enough maps of the area within the last two years. Just stay close and stay hidden. We’ll go to the north side of Le Louvre first.”

  I took his arm and traveled to our first destination. I was glad for our concealment because we arrived a stone’s throw from a man and woman who thought they had privacy. Cyrus and I looked at each other with amusement and quietly moved away.

  We stayed concealed as we followed the river, watching the modest homes turn into grand estates. I found the street we were looking for and followed it until we reached Marie’s. There was already a coach parked in front of the home, with two elegantly dressed ladies approaching the door. We decided to get a little closer and watch the exchange. One of the women pulled the ornate knocker and let it fall. They waited for almost a full minute before a young man answered the door. I heard Cyrus draw a sharp breath next to me. Their conversation was very short. Then the women walked back to their carriage, clearly offended by the rejection.

  “The footman is possessed,” Cyrus whispered in my ear.

  I nodded, trying to think of a way to enter the home. I motioned for him to follow me, and we quietly moved towards the rear of the estate. There was a very low wall around the back, more for decoration than anything else. We jumped over it and darted towards the servants’ entrance.

  “I’m going to take a look,” I said quietly. Cyrus nodded as I closed my eyes and pushed my mind through the door. It opened into a small storeroom, which led into the kitchen. Both rooms were empty. I retreated to my body, wondering where the servants were.

  “Let’s go,” I said as I quietly opened the door.

  We were both still concealed as we entered the kitchen and made our way through the servants’ hall. We encountered no one, which increased my concern. There should be servants moving throughout the house, attending to their daily chores. Where were they? We followed the back stairwell to the upstairs bedrooms and were immediately assaulted with the smell of death. Cyrus and I looked at one another with fear and confusion. Could the Csökkent be summoning demons inside this house? There appeared to be five bedrooms off the landing in front of us. All the doors were closed. I leaned over to Cyrus and barely whispered that I was going to look into the bedrooms. He nodded his understanding as I closed my eyes again.

  The fi
rst room was empty, apart from the very ornate furniture that was obviously a woman’s. The second room was totally empty; even the furniture was missing. The third and fourth rooms looked like they had been occupied by someone who was extremely messy. The beds were unmade, and half-eaten trays of food were scattered everywhere. I was shocked as I entered the last room. Several people where lying on the floor and appeared to be dead. Marie and another young woman were tied to the chairs beneath them, with two of the diminutive possession demons standing in front of them. Just as I was about to retreat, I saw the demons try to enter their bodies. Both women screamed, then convulsed as their bodies shook uncontrollably. The young woman collapsed, blood flowing freely from her eyes, nose, and ears as the demon retreated from her now dead body. Marie appeared to be fighting against the demon trying to possess her. I retreated back to my body to find Cyrus hoping from one foot to the other.

  “Follow me!” I said harshly, and we sprinted towards the bedroom Marie was in. “There are two demons in this room. We will need to kill the first quickly. The other is trying to possess Marie.” Cyrus nodded, but I could see the fear threatening to overwhelm him. I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. I pulled a long dagger from my bag, and Cyrus did the same.

  “Remember your training. We will use our newest technique on them, and they won’t see us coming.”

  Cyrus smiled nervously as I opened the door, and we sprinted towards the first demon. He turned with a confused expression, seeing no one enter. Cyrus suddenly appeared on his left, slicing into his torso, while I appeared on his right, severing his neck.

  “Conceal yourself,” I said to Cyrus, watching Marie finally lose the fight with the demon. Her eyes glowed red for a few seconds before noticing the dead demon at her feet. Then she realized she was still tied to the chair beneath her and let out a harsh roar. I could feel Cyrus moving towards the open door and decided to join him. We backed out into the hall just as two Csökkent rushed up the main staircase and ran into the bedroom. I took Cyrus’s arm and traveled back to Santuario.