“What do you mean?” she asked, avoiding the question.
“You haven’t taken part in the discussions today, not once. It is clear you have your own plan. Now the rest of the group has their instructions. Everyone is ready and they are assuming that you and I will join the battle to retake the castle. But we won’t, will we?”
“What do you mean ‘we’? You are joining the Draaken to create a distraction. I will enter the castle alone.”
“No,” he said, quite calm.
“You have to, it is the way it is supposed to be.”
“No,” he said again.
“What do you mean ‘no?”. You don’t have a choice, I never said you’d come with me.”
“I never said I’d let you go in alone. Besides, I have a choice, too, and that choice is to not leave you. I know you are going after the Book. It is dangerous and it is my mission to protect you,” he said.
“Marco, please,” she said. “I have to do this and you’ll be in the way. Besides, the group needs you to lead them.”
“Trying to make me feel guilty won’t work,” he said, amused at her attempt at convincing him.
“It’s not funny! I’m serious,” she insisted.
“You’re right, this is anything but funny. However, the others can cope without me. I am not so sure that you can.”
“Oh really?” she said, quite insulted.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he was laughing again.
“Oh, keep quiet,” she huffed. “You are not going with me and that is that!”
Silence greeted her statement. She peered at him through the dark; she could only see his silhouette leaning against a post.
“I meant it!” she said again, wanting to make sure he got the message.
He still didn’t answer, only walked slowly towards her. Keira gave an uncertain step back into the balustrade behind her.
His dark shape loomed over her as he bent his face towards her.
“I—am—not—leaving you!” he growled.
“You did before…. Twice!” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Damn it!
He sucked in his breath. The silence between them was loaded with her accusation.
When she couldn’t stand it anymore, her nerves stretched to breaking point, she stammered “I—I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you are right. I have left you before. It is no wonder you think I would be capable of doing so again. But this is different.”
“How?” she asked in a small voice.
“Because, I am sworn to protect you. I gave Victoria my word as Leader of my Family—as Commander of the Draaken. The first time—in the tent—I was endangering you.” He looked almost affronted by her not understanding.
“Oh, that is utter bull-twang!” Keira cried, hands on her hips and eyes flashing. “Please explain how exactly you were ‘endangering’ me?”
Marco made a noise that sounded like something between a curse and a laugh. “By placing my needs first. I was selfish, I wanted you for myself. But we have duties to our Families and to the Akasha. We cannot get distracted,” his voice was low and insistent. “Then, at Cassandra’s cabin, you were safe and protected. I had to get away from you. If I had followed my needs, you would not have been able to concentrate on your training and fulfill your destiny.”
“Well, if that isn’t the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard,” Keira said. “Not only are you seriously overestimating your effect on me, you are also underestimating my powers of concentration!”
Keira felt ridiculous even as the words left her mouth. He wanted me, was all she could think. Stop it, stop it! Stop acting like a love-struck idiot. He may want you, but that is all. He cares more about his duty….
“You speak about duty—well, I have a duty too,” she found her voice again.
“Yes, and that involves keeping yourself safe!” Marco had his hands around her upper arms.
“Marco….”
The next moment he was kissing her as if his life depended on it. Her eyes were wide open, shocked. He was devastating her mouth, ravishing her lips. Then he wrenched his face away from hers and glared at her.
“What…?” she stammered.
“I am not letting you go again,” he said.
“Okay,” her smile grew of its own volition and she put her arms around his neck. It was her turn to pull him close, and this time the kiss was softer, a gentle exploration of velvet and satin. She closed her eyes with a sigh.
This is where I belong, Keira thought as the world faded away around them.
He lifted her up and seated her on the top of the porch’s balustrade. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he stood, holding her firmly against him. His lips left fiery trails down her neck and along her collarbone.
*****
Amber’s eyes streamed with tears from the cold, predawn wind whipping across her face, and her fingers were starting to cramp. “Hurry, we must hurry!” she whispered into Varg’s ear through blue-numb lips. The big wolf seemed to understand as he put in an extra burst of energy and they went even faster. Suddenly, they were flying, hanging in the air for an impossible amount of time as Varg cleared a river in one jump and landed lightly on the other side. He ran on, ignoring Amber’s sharp gasp of fear.
They crossed one last hill and then Varg came to such a sudden stop that Amber almost flew over his head. She caught herself at the last moment and slid down his flank onto the ground in a frozen heap. The wolf panted from the effort of running for hours on end; then he threw his head back and howled at the sky.
*****
Marco stood back and smiled at Keira. He lifted his hand and gently rubbed her lips with his thumb.
“You look as if you’ve been ravished, my dear,” he teased softly.
She stroked his cheek in return, feeling the start of a stubble. “I loved being ravished,” she whispered.
He groaned and kissed her again, hard.
This time she pushed him away with a laugh. “I would really like for this to go on, but we have to get some sleep.”
Marco sighed deeply. “I suppose you’re right,” and he lifted her off the railing as if she was a feather. As her feet touched the ground, a loud howl erupted in the distance. Marco and Keira froze where they stood.
“Was that…?” she asked, surprised.
“Yes, it sounded like Varg. Come on!” Marco said. He grabbed Keira’s hand and pulled her down the porch steps into the garden. They quickly left through the wooden gate and followed the trail that led through the surrounding trees, towards a distant ridge. After a short but fast hike, they reached the top of the ridge and stood looking down at the Herberg.
“Where is he?” Keira asked, concerned.
A soft growl guided them a short distance further down the path and they found the wolf, standing over a small lump on the ground.
“Oh,” Keira gasped and ran over to Varg. She knelt next to him and turned the shape around.
“It’s Amber!”
Marco ripped off his jacket and bundled the girl into it, trying to get some warmth back into her ice-cold body. “He brought her here—why?”
Keira turned to Varg and placed her hand on the wolf’s head. She instantly saw the trip he had taken through the woods with the little girl on his back.
“She asked Varg for help to find me,” Keira said. “I could feel their urgency. But why?” she asked.
Marco lifted the small girl in his arms. “We have to get her back to the Herberg, where it’s warm. Hopefully she’ll be able to tell us.” He started back down the trail, carefully carrying his precious cargo.
“Thank you,” Keira whispered to the big wolf. He gave her hand a last sniff and jumped away, sprinting back through the forest in the direction he came.
Keira followed Marco down the trail and soon they were standing in the Herberg’s warm front room. The rest of the group was waiting for them. A fire crackled in the fireplace and Mar
co put the girl down on a soft couch closest to it. He fetched a thick throw from a nearby chair and bundled her in it. Keira sat down next to her, on the edge of the couch, and stroked the unconscious girl’s red hair.
“We heard the howling,” Adam said, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
“Who is that?” Zina asked and stepped forward to examine the girl.
“Amber!” Justin cried when he saw the red hair and ran over to the couch.
Alison and Sammy were standing to one side, not sure what they should do.
“Varg brought her,” Marco said to the group in general.
Zina continued her examination, then held both her hands cupped over the girl’s head, closed her eyes, and started a soft chant. After a few moments of the hypnotic singing, Amber slowly opened her eyes.
“Where am I?” she asked in a small, scared voice.
“It’s okay, you are with friends,” Keira said with a smile.
“Keira!” the girl cried and threw her arms around Keira’s neck, sobbing with relief.
Keira hugged the girl close to her. “There, there,” she tried to comfort Amber and couldn’t help but feel she was only skin and bones. She pushed down the instinctive rage—one more thing Daemon would answer for—and asked in a soothing voice, “Now, would you like to tell us why you were looking for me? And how you knew where we were?”
“Yes, because if she knew,” Rafael ventured, “others might know as well.
“It’s okay. He only knows you’re coming, not where exactly you are. I asked Varg to bring me, and here I am,” Amber smiled. “I have something for you,” she said to Keira and held her hand out for the small backpack lying next to the couch. Keira handed it to her and Amber tugged at the opening. She took out a yellow, rolled-up document, tied with a red ribbon and handed it to Keira.
“What is this?” Keira asked with a frown.
Just then Simone stepped forward, carrying a bowl of steaming soup. “Here you go little one, this will warm you up nicely,” and she held the bowl out to the girl.
A sharp ring of steel caught everyone by surprise and Simone stopped in her tracks. A long silver sword pressed against her throat.
“I wouldn’t move if I was you,” Yoshibumi Harigaya said, very calmly. His arm was rock still as it held the glinting blade against Simone’s snow white neck.
“Yoshi! What are you doing!” Chloe cried out in shock.
“Yoshi?” Marco asked, a dreadful suspicion growing in his mind.
“Why don’t you ask her to taste the soup?” Yoshibumi said, still not moving.
Everyone was looking at Simone. Her blue eyes spit fire. “What the hell is going on!” she hissed and made as if she wanted to slap the blade away.
“Don’t move!” Yoshibumi snapped and pressed it deeper into her skin. Simone froze.
“Simone? Would you humour me and taste the soup?” Marco asked. His voice was polite, but Keira shivered as he walked past her; a coldness had entered his aura, and she was suddenly glad it wasn’t focused on her.
“Why would I do that? Come on Marco, I got it in the kitchen for the girl!” Simone tried to smile.
Marco looked over at Yoshibumi, standing like a statue carved from stone.
“I saw her pour something into the soup from a little bottle in her pocket,” he replied to Marco’s unspoken question.
Marco looked back at Simone. “Drink the soup,” he whispered, each syllable firing like a bullet at the woman in front of him.
“No!” Simone cried, desperately looking around the room as if trying to get help from those gathered around her. But she met only cold, hard glares. In desperation she flung the bowl away from her, where it shattered on the stone floor and a slight vapour rose from the spilled liquid.
“Chloe,” Marco called without turning to look where the Seer was.
“Here,” she said and came to stand in front of Simone.
“No! What are you—really Marco, what do you think you’re doing?” Simone pleaded, but no one was listening. Adam had stepped behind her and grabbed her arms, holding her tightly.
Chloe drifted even closer and placed a hand on Simone’s forehead. Chloe’s eyes glazed over and Rafael stood ready to catch her if needed. Very quickly, it was over, and Chloe stepped back with a look of extreme sadness on her face.
“She has been betraying us to Daemon. He managed to build a shield around her, which is why we didn’t notice anything strange,” the Seer said and turned away, into Rafael’s arms.
The shocked silence was broken by Simone’s sudden, deranged laugh. “Yes!” she shouted. “I have been right under your filthy noses and you didn’t notice a thing!” she taunted them, a mad glint in her eyes.
Yoshibumi swung his sword back. “Stop!” Keira’s command rang around the room, and the katana stopped a hair’s width from Simone’s throat.
Heads turned to Keira as she stood up from the couch. Her face was completely calm, but those closest to her looked into her eyes and shivered. Keira glided closer and stopped in front of the wild-eyed blond woman. Simone spat at her feet.
“Yoshi, please,” Keira asked, still looking at Simone.
The Japanese man stepped away and sheathed his katana.
“Adam, let her go,” she instructed the big Australian. He didn’t argue.
“What have you done?” Keira asked Simone, her eyes narrowed and fists clenched at her side.
Simone only stared back defiantly. The silence between them stretched into millennia. Then Simone laughed and hissed at Keira, “Who are you to interrogate me. I don’t answer to you!”
Keira seemed to grow in stature. “I am the High Priestess of the Guardians of the Akasha. My name is Keira, and you will obey!” her voice lashed over Simone who fell down on her knees as if bent down by an invisible force.
“I—I only—” she stammered, and looked pleadingly up at Keira. She received no help.
“He said he loved me! He said—I only gave him some information!” Simone was crying, helpless before the woman she had betrayed.
“Victoria trusted you,” Keira accused.
“That old witch!” Simone spat again, mad rage returning to her eyes. “She treated me as if I was invisible! I lived my job and what did I get? Nothing! I should have been the next High Priestess…not you, some unknown girl who doesn’t know anything about our ways.”
Keira was silent, waiting. Yoshibumi could have sliced the air with his katana.
“You will never understand what it was like…living in her shadow all of those years…. Then Daemon came,” Simone continued, still kneeling on the floor. “He had an appointment with…her…. He was so nice. He asked me out to dinner and he listened to my ideas!”
“So, you betrayed Victoria—the Guardians—everything you believed in, because he wasnice to you?” Keira asked.
“No!” Simone shrieked. “I did it because his arguments made sense! We are the ones who should be ruling the Earth, not the human cattle who stumble around and don’t know shit about anything. I will take my rightful place at his side and we will rule!” Simone giggled insanely, standing up on wobbly legs. She pointed a finger at Keira, “You are nothing. The Council does not exist. You cannot do anything to me, I have to be judged by a full Council!”
“You are mistaken,” Keira replied. “We are all that is left of the Draaken, and that makes us the next Council. We will sit in judgment of your crimes against our Order and of your hand in the murder of your High Priestess.”
With her words, the remaining members of the Draaken stepped closer and formed a circle around Simone, their hands linked.
“We are the Council,” they intoned, “and we sit in judgment of your crimes.”
Simone spun around wildly, looking for a way to escape, but found none.
“Simone,” Keira continued, her face expressionless. “For your crimes against the Guardians of the Akasha and the murder of our High Priestess, you are found guilty and banished to the Void.”
&nbs
p; “Nooooooo!” Simone screamed and threw herself at Keira. Before she could reach her, a blinding flash erupted from the centre of the circle. When everyone could see again, Simone had vanished.
Adam gave a deep sigh. “Sure would have preferred wringing her neck, though.”
Chapter 31
Amber and Justin sat on the couch, their eyes round as saucers. Sammy and Alison stood behind them, their eyes equally huge. Keira tried to smile at them, tried to reassure them, but it was Zina who stepped forward and pulled the children into her arms. “Come,” she crooned. “It has been a long night. I’ll put you two to bed,” and she pulled them down the passage in the direction of the guest rooms.
“I’m hungry. Can we eat first? And Amber also needs something,” Justin tried to delay his going to bed.
“Wait!” Amber cried and pulled out of Zina’s arms. She hurried over to the table and picked up the rolled-up scroll where she had left it. “You have to read this, it is important,” she said and handed it to Keira.
Keira slowly untied the red ribbon and rolled the yellowed paper open. She scanned it with a frown. “I can’t read this,” she said and handed the document to Marco. He also had a look at it. “It is written in the local Czech dialect. It must be hundreds of years old; this language isn’t even spoken anymore.”
“I can!” Amber interrupted and held her hand out for the document. Marco handed it over to the little girl, who started reading in a soft voice.
“‘With the Gatekeeper lies the secret to the Book of Knowledge. The Gatekeeper will only reveal itself to the Chosen One at the edge of the Void. The Void’s entrance lies within the castle’”
“What does that mean?” Chloe asked with a frown.
Keira sat down. “It means that I must enter the Void.”
“What!” Marco exclaimed. “No one enters the Void—not willingly. You can’t be serious?”
“Unfortunately, I am very serious,” Keira replied softly.
“I think someone has to explain. You two obviously know more about this than we do,” Zina said from the doorway.
“Yes,” Keira said. “I am sorry,” she apologized. “I couldn’t tell you until I knew who was supplying Daemon with information,” and she looked at the people around her. There were a few hurt expressions, but everyone nodded in understanding.
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