Sentinels of Creation: A Tale of Two Gardens (Sentinel's of Creation Book 2)

by Robert Ross

  With that both she and Seramai turned and headed out, Seramai shouldering the gym door open for her and holding it. “Why thank you, milord, she said with a slight curtsey as she passed.”

  “Holy crap,” said Kellan sprinting to catch up, “What was that I just saw. Meghan Daugherty deferring to a man, curtseying no less.”

  Meghan ignored him as she crossed the hall and tapped the up button on the elevator bank, but Seramai leaned in. “She was mocking me as you very well know, Sentinel of Order, and I’ll thank you not to make a point of it lest I be forced to mock back.”

  Kellan looked up at the taller man and nodded, “Yeah, fair point, that wouldn’t end well.” Seramai returned the nod and Kellan smirked as he walked past, “…for you.”

  The young Sentinel thought he might have actually heard the general’s teeth crack at how hard his jaw clenched, when Meghan called out, “C’mon boys, I’m hot and I’m sweaty and I want my shower.”

  The three clambered into the small elevator and Meghan mashed the button for the top floor. As the numbers began to flash by, Kellan snapped his fingers. “Hey, I almost forgot, have you guys seen any weird shadows around lately?”

  “Shadows?” asked Seramai, “What kind of shadows.”

  Kellan thought about how best to describe it. “Well, I saw one in the gym when—“

  The door gave a final chime and opened, “Everybody out,” interrupted Meghan and then gave Kellan an unceremonious shove when he didn’t move fast enough for her. He stumbled into the hallway and glared at her, “What the hell, Meghan? I was talking.”

  “About stupid shadows that weren’t even there.”

  “I saw it, Meghan. It was right behind you while you were sparring, so unless you suddenly sprouted wings, something was there.”

  The former Marine walked up to Kellan and poked him hard in the chest with one finger and he thought he caught the barest hint of a glow in her eyes, “I am Hot!” she said and with each word her finger poked his chest with more force. Seramai intervened, sliding an arm between them and said, “You most certainly are, my love. You go ahead and start that shower, we’ll follow along in a moment.” Meghan looked up sharply then her features softened and she smiled as he leaned in to kiss her cheek and whisper something too softly for Kellan to hear. He saw Meghan take a deep breath and nod to Seramai, then said, “Sorry, Kel,” under her breath as she turned into her apartment.

  As the door clicked shut, Kellan rounded on Seramai, “Dude! Seriously, what the hell? What is going on with her?”

  Seramai smiled innocently, “I really have no idea—“

  Kellan snapped and reached inward feeling a wave of power fill him. He channeled it throughout his entire body strengthening every bone and muscle. The young Sentinel’s eyes burst to life as he put both hands on either side of Seramai’s chest lifting him effortlessly and then slamming him against the wall next to Meghan’s apartment door. The general’s eyes widened in surprise and then anger even as the wind was knocked out of him by Kellan’s push.

  Kellan released him and took a step back pointing, “There!”

  Seramai’s face had taken on a dangerous aspect, “There, what?” he growled.

  “There, your eyes. They glow like that when you are angry and I’ve seen her’s do it several times now. What have you done to her?”

  The general sighed and Kellan watched as he took control of his emotions, eyes reverting to their normal dark chocolate brown. “I have done nothing to her, Kellan Thorne. You must trust me on this.”

  Kellan snorted, “Have you met me? I don’t have to trust, shit. What’s going on?”

  “Don’t be a child, Kellan. I am well aware of how you rail against all forms of compulsion. We are allies. If you cannot abide the word must than surely you accept that Allies should trust one another.”

  Kellan felt the heat of his anger subside and the warmth in his eyes faded. “Yeah,” he grumbled, “I suppose,” then looked up sharply, “but Meghan—“

  Seramai rested his hands softly on Kellan’s shoulders and looked down at him with a gentle smile, “Meghan is fine. She is better than fine, but more than that I cannot say.”

  “Cannot, or will not,” Seramai.

  “Both. Cannot because to say more would breach longstanding tradition. Will not because doing so could cause her harm.” The general let his hands fall but continued to stare at Kellan. “She is not laboring under any glamor I have laid about her, young Sentinel. I will never cause her harm, Kellan, ever.”

  The two men continued to lock eyes, each taking the measure of the other. Finally Kellan broke the silence and smiled, “Fair enough, but if you ever do—“ Kellan just left the sentence hang in the air unfinished and Seramai simply nodded in understanding.

  “Beer?” Seramai asked brightly.

  “What time is is? It can’t be much past 2:00.”

  Seramai looked at Kellan quizzically, “And your point is?”

  Kellan paused, then shrugged, “No point actually. Does she have any Innis & Gunn?”

  The general clapped Kellan on the back as they entered the apartment, “I’m sure she does. You know she keeps that around just for you?”

  “She does? She always gives me shit for coming by unannounced and drinking her beer.”

  “It is her way, Kellan. You, more than most, should understand that,” said Saramai as he removed two cold bottles from the refrigerator. The large man moved to open them, but Kellan stopped him.

  “No, let me. I love that opener. It has magnets that—

  Seramai laughed, but handed Kellan the two bottles, “I’ve seen it Kellan. I’m less fascinated by magnets than you are.”

  The Sentinel smiled at the pair of pop, hiss, clicks, that sounded as he opened both bottles and watched the hidden magnets capture the falling bottle caps. Kellan handed one of them to Seramai and they clinked bottles. “It’s the simple things, Seramai. If I can find joy in opening bottles of beer, just imagine what else makes me happy.”

  The general chuckled and was about to respond when they heard Meghan call from the bedroom. The two men turned toward the sound and Kellan smiled. “Thy mistress beckons, valorous sir, and the lady sayeth she shall not abideth thy stinky presence. Wend forth and taketh thy shower.”

  Seramai nodded gravely and extended his hand, “Into the breech I go, my friend. If I am not back in half an hour, please come save me.”

  Kellan took a swig of his beer as Seramai headed for the bedroom, “No way, dude, you are on your own.”

  “Wow, that’s a pretty serious face you’re wearing there,” said Meghan as she entered the room. Kellan lay sprawled on the couch tapping at his iPhone. He looked up.

  “Hmmm?”

  Meghan walked over and folded herself next to him, glanced down at his phone, and gave him a soft punch on the arm. “Sorry for being such a bitch earlier.”

  “Sokay,” said Kellan with a shrug.

  “No, no it’s not, Kel. I’m just going through some stuff,” she broke off, then continued, “but that doesn’t excuse it, just kind of explains it.”

  Kellan looked up at her, “Stuff? Stuff explains it?”

  “Kellan,” she said with a sigh.

  “No, I’m not prying, Meghan. Seramai already told me you needed space to figure stuff out, so I’m just leaving it be.”

  Meghan nodded silently and motioned to his phone which still displayed a picture of Kellan affecting a pained expression while Shannon clung to his back, her teeth nipping at his left ear. “You worried about Merida, there. I’m sure she’s fine.”

  Kellan snorted, “Don’t let her hear you call her that. She hates that movie.”

  Meghan pushed back into the other corner of the couch and grinned, “I know, which is why I try to call her that on a regular basis.”

  “You two are incorrigible.”

  A long silence spread between them so thick one could almost touch it and Meghan reached over, tapping Kellan’s leg. “What is it?”r />
  He looked up, “Eyes filling slightly. Something’s wrong, Meg. I can’t feel her. You know how we both have a vague sense of the other, kind of like how twins sometimes describe it.”

  Meghan grinned, “Given some of your extracurricular activities together, I’m not sure twins is the best way to describe your connection.”

  Kellan stared at Meghan and her smile fell away, “Sorry, was trying to cheer you up. I’m going to be quiet now. You talk.”

  “Well, I knew something was going on as we left the gym, but” Kellan waved a hand in frustration, “something is always going on with her. It used to keep me in a continual state of freaked-outted-ness, but I’ve learned to just deal with in over the past year. Anyway, I mostly ignored it, but then I got a real sense of fear and distress.” Kellan paused staring at Meghan.

  She shrugged, “Ok, so what, fear and distress. I mean, Kellan, your lives are not exactly stress free.”

  “Meghan, what does it take for you to feel fear and distress, let alone project it.”

  The former Marine grimaced, “Ok, I see what you mean. So what did you do.”

  “I tried to portal to her.”

  “And…”

  “I wouldn’t form.”

  “That’s weird isn’t it.”

  “Yes and no. I knew she was going to these Druidic stones near Inverness and those kinds of places can often screw with my ability to create portals. Ironically, they also seem to allow me to more fully sense what’s going on with her. It’s like the stones have created fissures in creation. That’s why she was there in the first place. She was chasing a major demon who and stolen the Spear of Longinus from her.”

  “Oh shit, how the hell did one demon manage that. I mean, it’s Shannon. One demon? Doesn’t seem possible.” Meghan glanced at Kellan, “Don’t tell her I implied she was such a badass.”

  Kellan snorted, “You two. Separated at birth. Anyway, it got worse. She was hurt, then nothing. She just vanished from my mind.”

  Meghan saw tears fill Kellan’s eyes and silently drip down his cheek. The former marine snuggled close and wrapped her arms around him. “What if she’s dead, Meg? What if I can’t feel her because she’s dead? I don’t think I could take that.” He shook his head and shuddered. “That’s not true. I know I couldn’t take that.”

  Meghan wiped the errant tear with her thumb and spoke softly, “You could take that, Kellan. We all can take it. I have taken it. It nearly broke me and it took you to bring me back from it, but I took it.” She stared at him as he shook his head in negation. “But, that’s not gonna happen. She’s alive, Kel.”

  “You don’t know that,” he replied dryly.

  “I do,” came Seramai’s resonate voice and the two looked up. “Were she dead, you would know it Kellan. A bond such as yours is rare, but not unique in creation. I have had one myself. It can be blocked for a time and that is what you are experiencing. Only death can sever it and there is no mistaking what that feels like. Trust me, my friend, your soulborn lives and we will find her.”

  Kellan looked up at Meghan and smiled wanly, “He seems pretty certain.”

  She mussed the young Sentinel’s hair and grinned, “If he’s that certain, then you can take it to the bank, so cheer up. The game is afoot.”

  Kellan nodded feeling more confident. He took a deep breath, “Ok, yes, the game is afoot. Just one thing Meghan that still really troubles me,”

  “Just one,” she laughed, “What’s that?”

  “Why is your giant, self-proclaimed, god standing in the living room stark naked?”

  “You noticed that too?” she said, grinning wolfishly at Seramai.

  “Uh, yeah,” began Kellan keeping his eyes on Meghan, “Some aspects are hard to miss, and truth be told, just a bit intimidating.”

  “Intimidating to some. Enticing to others,” she said with a chuckle then added, “Sera, shimmer up some clothes.”

  “As you wish, my valkyrie,” came his response and when Kellan risked another look, the general again wore his battle leathers as he sat in the chair facing them.

  Meghan righted herself on the couch and offered a hand to pull Kellan to a seated position as well. “So, what’s next guys?”

  “Isn’t that obvious?” asked Seramai causing Kellan and Meghan to exchange confused looks. The general shook his head and held up a hand then raised fingers as he spoke, “First, we go to the Cabal, second, we prevent them from using the Spear of Longinus, and third we kill them all.” At this last, Kellan saw his eyes take on their otherworldly glow.

  “Yes,” purred Meghan, “That does sound fun.” Kellan looked over and saw her eyes, too, had begun to shimmer slightly, but he pushed down the questions forming in his mind, instead turning to Seramai.

  “Ok, genius, how exactly do we even get to step one. I have no idea where the Cabal might be located.”

  “Well,” said the general, “The Gospel of Judas does provide a clue. Have you considered that?”

  Kellan sighed, “Seramai, I never even heard of the Gospel of Judas before Ah’Anon brought it up last week.”

  Meghan said, “Wait, I’m lost. Who is Akanon?”

  “Ah’Anon,” corrected Seramai gently.

  Kellan shook his head slightly. “Sorry, Meghan, sometimes I forget who all knows what. Ah’Anon is an ancient Egyptian vampire who came to the shop last week and brought this whole mess to my doorstep. I guess somehow we left that part out.” The Sentinel gave her a sheepish expression.

  She shrugged and replied sarcastically, “I suppose it would be easy to overlook being visited by an ancient Egyptian vampire. Happens all the time.” Kellan was about to explain further but she waved him off, “Forget it Kel, I’m just glad the pieces fit inside my head now. So, what’s with this Gospel of Judas. We are talking about Judas Iscariot right?”

  Kellan smiled, “Very good, Meghan, I wouldn’t have figured you for a biblical scholar.”

  She stared at him flatly, “We both went to the same Catholic school, Kellan. I know who Judas Iscariot is.”

  Seramai interjected, “Yes, it is that Judas. Kellan, you are not familiar with this Gospel?”

  The Sentinel shook his head. “I’ve read a number of non canonical gospels, but never one attributed to Judas.”

  The general nodded in understanding, “Ah, that does make some sense then. Well, the Gospel of Judas is a prophetic work, somewhat like Revelation. You should read it.”

  Kellan stared at him, “I would, Seramai, but it was checked out at the Library.”

  Meghan gave a short burst of laughter and the warrior glared at her. “What?” she said, “It was a stupid suggestion. Why don’t you give Kellan a copy and he’ll read it.”

  “I do not have a copy,” said Seramai still smarting from her laughter. “The book is illusive. I suspect there is something about it that violates Lucifer and God’s grand bargain so it tends to be both difficult to find and even more difficult to retain.”

  “Makes the suggestion even more stupid,” said Meghan under her breath.

  “What?” asked Seramai

  “Nothing, babe,” replied Meghan sweetly then said, “You mentioned a clue about the Cabal. Do you recall the passage?”

  Seramai nodded gravely. “I do and while my memory is not as keen as Kellan’s, these verses I remember perfectly.”

  Both Meghan and Kellan had unconsciously leaned forward, but after several long moments, Kellan said, “Well?”

  “Oh,” said Seramai, “You want me to recite it, now?”

  “Jesus, Seramai,” said Kellan, “How hard did Megan slam you? Yes, please recite it now.”

  “Babe,” said Meghan. “You look nervous. You never look nervous. What is it?”

  Seramai cleared his throat, “The entire gospel, every word, is charged with power. Recitation can,” he paused, “bring the unwanted attention of powerful creatures. I’ve learned this the hard way and do not recommend it.”

  The air suddenly became rippled
with energy and a shimmering sphere snapped in place around the three friends. Meghan looked over to find Kellan’s brow furrowed in concentration and his eyes ablaze with green light. “Kellan, what are you doing?”

  “Making a shield.”

  “A shield will not prevent,” began Seramai.

  “This shield will. Micah showed me how to do it once. If it can cut an Archangel off from Heaven, it can make a temporary cone of silence for us. Now hush, this isn’t easy.” Meghan and Seramai watched silently as sweat began to form on Kellan’s face. He gave a visible heave and formed his hands into fists. As he did so, the shield sparked and became nearly solid around them. “Now, Seramai, speak it now. We are sealed off from all of creation, but I cannot hold it long.”

  The general looked to Meghan, uncertain, but she nodded definitively. Seramai stood, took a deep breath an recited a passage from the Gospel of Judas:

  Beneath the lion whose human visage stares sightless forever shall god’s unchecked hand join with perdition’s progeny to bewray the mantle of war. This trinity may earn safe passage to one whose victories art recount’d in spirals up to the sky. At which hour god and man embrace yond which is neither, the path to those who is’t seek creation’s end becometh manifest

  As the last word faded, Kellan released the power with a gasp. The shield vanished with a resonant pop and he leaned back into the couch as the other two stared at him.

  Kellan returned their gaze and said, “I know where we need to go.”

  Chapter 18

  Sphinx

  “I don’t understand,” said Meghan as the portal winked out behind them. “If we aren’t invisible, why won’t people see us?”

  Kellan blinked several times, then rubbed his eyes cursing softly. He took a small bottle from his pocket, tilted his head back, and squeezed several drops in each eye.

  “What are you doing?” asked Meghan.

  “Contacts,” said Kellan

  “What? Since when do you wear contacts?”