Seventh Mark (Part 1 +2)

by W. J. May

  He seems distant. I didn’t know how to approach or help. I took my time getting out of the car and waited for him by the bumper.

  Hand in hand, we quietly walked around to the pool house. I changed and started making dinner. Michael turned on the gas fireplace, sat at the bar while I cooked. He grabbed my laptop.

  Exasperated, he shut the laptop and put it on the coffee table. “It is no use. I can’t translate what the words mean.”

  “You said Bentos sounded familiar – maybe Seth or Caleb know more. We can head over to the house and ask. I’m just about finished sup—”

  “Let’s go.” Michael stood at the door, already pulling it open, before I had a chance to set the spaghetti on the table.

  With no one in the kitchen, we walked straight into the office. Caleb sat at his desk talking to Seth, who stood leaning against a book case beside the desk. Sarah and Grace sat in the red chairs, both upright and listening to the men argue. Conversation stopped when we entered.

  “No news from Tatiana?” Michael asked.

  “Nothing. However, she's not back yet, so that's a good sign,” Seth replied.

  Everyone turned expectantly to me. What I’d do now? I glanced at Michael in confusion. He leaned his head toward me and whispered, “They want to know what happened today, from your point of view.”

  I coughed and cleared my throat. “I got mad at Damon and didn’t think.”

  “Should we be surprised?” Caleb snarled. “You didn’t tell him about the book?”

  I might be stupid but I’m not an idiot. “No, I didn’t mention the book. I might’ve let on that I knew what he is.” I took a deep breath and waited for the yelling to begin.

  Except it grew quiet instead. No one said a word. I glanced around the room, settling lastly on Caleb. He’d be the most ticked. However, when our eyes met, there was no anger but something else. Maybe a hint of respect?

  “What did you say to him?” His voice came out quiet, but direct.

  “Vargulf Bentos Monstrum.” I stared at my hands. “I don’t know what it means, just read it in the Grollic book. Do any of you know? I’m not sure if I’m actually saying it correctly.” Again I felt this strange tug inside that it was exactly right.

  “Monstrum must be monster or beast. What we used to refer to the Grollics as.” Caleb’s brows came together. “It was one of the terms we used in the very beginning. I do not know the other words.”

  “Vargulf means servant,” Sarah said quietly. No one questioned why she knew, but I did turn to Michael and Grace for some sort of explanation.

  “I was a warrior fighter a lifetime ago.” Sarah sighed. “A hunter and fighter. That's how I found Grace and Michael.” She smiled at them. “They are also the reason I stopped.” She paced, her arms clasped tight behind her back. “My last orders were to hunt a pack of Grollics with a unique leader. He turned the Grollics into servants. We called them Vargulf Monstrums.”

  I wanted to ask what made her stop hunting the Grollics when she found Grace and Michael. Opening my mouth to ask, I paused when I saw the horror on Michael’s face. “What's wrong?”

  Everyone turned to stare.

  His tanned face went three shades lighter, and his eyes turned sapphire blue. I stepped back without even thinking. He exhaled a terrifying growl as his head snapped toward Grace.

  Her eyes grew big but the shock quickly turned to anger, her eyes turning the same ice blue as well. “No! How do you know?”

  Michael’s jaw clenched. “I remember everything from that night. It’s imprinted in my memory like a movie. Earlier today…I thought…but it didn’t...” He seemed to be sending messages to Grace and speaking only parts out loud.

  Earlier, in the car he’d seemed distant. Had he made some connection then? Or could he have been thinking about something else? Now the shock couldn’t be more genuine. I rubbed my neck, unsure of my own thoughts and wondering what the connection actually could be.

  Caleb shouted. “What the hell’s going on?”

  Michael didn't take his eyes off Grace. “Bentos is the man who came that night with the Grollics. He killed our parents and then went after us. I don’t know if he was a Grollic, but he lead the beasts. He’s the one who stabbed me…tortured a-and r-raped Grace before he killed her. Bentos.”

  I reached for his hand. He squeezed mine but then let go and turned to Caleb. “I think Rouge’s uncovered a hidden secret.” He looked at Sarah.

  “I know very little, Michael.” She came over to him and touched his face. “We’d been tracking and hunting that pack for months. We believed their leader had gone mad. We knew they were different than typical packs. The mess they made appeared targeted at certain people. Each death maliciously planned out.” Sarah exhaled a long, slow breath. “That night they came to your house was the closest we’d been to catching them. They went underground right after, or got smart and cleaned up their act. My life changed, and I stopped my military crusades.” She walked over to Grace and hugged her close. “My life had new meaning with the two of you.”

  Caleb coughed. “So is this Bentos an enemy to us or the Grollics – or both? Is it possible Rouge scared Damon with his name?” Caleb sounded all business, not one ounce of sentiment inside of him.

  “I’ve heard stories but assumed they were tales,” Seth said. “The man was human, so he can’t be alive now. Right?”

  I glanced at him in surprise. I’d forgotten he was still in the room. “The pictures and name came from a part of the book which isn’t in English.”

  Caleb snapped. “I suggest you and Michael head to the pool house and get back to the book. There may be pertinent information we need. Have Michael look at the drawings.”

  “They weren’t specific. I doubt they were actually of Bento—”

  “I found them!” Tatiana burst through the door. Her hair wild and clothes a mess, but she appeared triumphant. She went straight to Seth, kissing him so passionately I had to look away, embarrassed. She finally pulled away and spoke to Caleb.

  “Damon’s merely a boy. Barely changed, maybe this past summer. He’s a cocky unsub. There are nine in the pack, two older, plus a possible Alpha. The rest are young and want to fight. All full of stupid pride. Easy prey.” She nodded in my direction. “After her challenge at lunch, Damon went running with his tail between his legs trying to find his Alpha. They’re all terrified of the girl now.” She laughed.

  “Did they see you?” Seth asked.

  “Didn’t even realize I was there.” She wiped her lips. “There were ten, but I had a little fun with one.” She smiled dangerously at Seth and looked ready to pounce on him, her eyes shifting through different shades of blue.

  “Focus, Tatianna. Where are they staying?” Caleb snapped his fingers.

  “By a park, so I don’t know where they live.” She elbowed Seth. “Dummies. Too stupid to realize how dangerous being out in the open is. A bloody city park.”

  “Or bold and fearless knowing we won’t do anything in broad daylight, in the wide open,” Grace muttered.

  I couldn’t believe it. “They met as Grollics right out in the open?”

  Tatiana snorted and Caleb shook his head. “Of course not.” He glanced over me to Seth. “Do you see what I have to put with?”

  “Watch it,” Michael warned.

  I hadn’t thought the question was that stupid. The way they talk…

  “What else did you learn?” Caleb ignored Michael.

  “That’s it. I scouted and counted. Then eliminated one. Now I want my prize.” Her attention went back to Seth and she started to pull him toward the door.

  “I don’t think we'll be much help here for the rest of the evening, Caleb,” Seth said with a sly smile. “I best take care of my mate before she causes any damage to your house.”

  You have got to be kidding me. I blinked and rolled my eyes at Michael.

  “Go.” Caleb flicked his fingers as if shooing a fly away.

  Michael punched a fist into
his other hand. “Grace, I don’t want you or Rouge going to school.”

  “Fine…” Grace paused. When Caleb cleared his throat she spoke again, “We’re still celebrating Rouge’s birthday on Friday. Even if it’s just dinner, here at the house.”

  “No party, just us.” Michael took my hand.

  “I don’t want to celebrate my birthday.” I shook my head. “Now isn’t the time. It’s not important.”

  “I ordered cake.” Grace crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re blowing out candles.”

  Nobody argued. Michael and I left the office and walked out into the cold night air. The moon danced high in the clear sky, not quite full but its light giving an eerie glow among the trees and bushes – everything seemed blue tonight. Something isn’t right. My gut seemed to be trying to convince my brain. I moved closer to Michael and he pulled me tight against him. Neither of us spoke as we headed to the pool house.

  Chapter 18

  Michael and I planned to work on the Grollic book late into the night, but ten minutes into it, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Despite all the worry and things learned, I needed to sleep. Nice girlfriend, I sarcastically thought as I drifted off.

  I woke early the next morning with Michael missing and the room quiet. My laptop sat open on the coffee table facing me. I leaned over and ran my finger over the mouse pad. The screen flashed white with a note in the middle from Michael.

  Gone to the house to speak to Caleb to see if there’s any new information. I’ll tell everyone to leave you alone. Relax and don’t worry. You deserve a little break.

  I showered, and then made breakfast. Sitting down on the couch, I opened the journal to the middle section by the Grollic anatomy. As I turned the thick pages, my nail caught a corner. Two pages were stuck together which I hadn’t noticed before. I gently tried to separate and blew on them, managing to pry them apart.

  My heart stuttered as I stared at the unseen pages. The words were in English.

  Both sheets covered possibly vulnerabilities of the Grollic. I grabbed a pen to make notes on half used pieces of paper.

  There was no hierarchy to the list - nothing to show the most or the least effective. Or what might not work. The points looked exactly like someone had jotted them down as they brainstormed. Nothing looked like it would work. They all looked ancient. Science had come a long way since this journal had been written.

  I blew my bangs off my forehead. So much for Hollywood and the movies they sell. Isn’t there always a way to stop the bad guys?

  The point mentioned rye acting as another danger for the Grollic. There was a question mark beside rye-root. Rye? Wasn’t that alcohol? Could whiskey do the same thing?

  “Useless,” I muttered, tossing the pen onto the table. “How’s it gonna help if a Grollic’s about to attack? Do I politely offer it a nice rye and ginger?”

  The next indented notation in the book answered my question. A Grollic in human-form would be unable to shape-shift if it ingested rye. It could take hours to days for the rye to clear the body’s system, which would leave the Grollic vulnerable in human-form.

  Now this information might be important. I’d have to let Michael and the others know. If they didn’t already know. After Caleb’s comments last night, I wasn’t too eager to share anything that wasn’t solid. Glancing at the dull skies outside, I figured I might as well read the other page before heading over to share alcoholic possibilities which Caleb probably already knew and would only roll his eyes at me for sharing.

  The next page talked about Alpha and Beta stuff. Kinda like werewolves in movies. I stood and began pacing the room. I needed to stretch and reading aloud might make better sense of the writing. “In a pack of Grollics, there is the Alpha, the leader, and the Beta, which are under the Alpha. Betas follow the Alpha till death. They do anything and everything they can to please their leader. There was no free choice once you became a Beta; you served the Alpha till death. A slave to its own kind.” There was another note at the bottom of the page, messy and jotted down like an afterthought. It went along the bottom to the side edge since there was no room left. I couldn’t make it out, only something that looked like: Be the ultimate alpha.

  “Hello.” Michael stood right beside me.

  I jumped about three feet in the air, tossing the journal over my head. I hadn’t heard him or the door open, hadn’t even felt the cool air, till now. I shivered.

  He caught the journal and handed it back to me. “Sorry to scare you.” He laughed and dropped down, pulling me with him. He let out a deep sigh, resting his arm on the back of the couch behind me.

  “Any news at the house?” I tossed the journal on the table, then snuggled closer to his warmth.

  “Nothing. Seth and Tatiana found nothing new this morning. No reports. Nothing out of the ordinary. It is just … silent.”

  “Maybe they left.” I couldn’t keep the hopeful sound out of my voice.

  “No, it’s too quiet. Like the calm before a storm.” He rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Something’s going to happen. We just need to figure out what.”

  “What does Caleb think?”

  “He wants to wait a few days before he calls a meeting with the Higher Coven. He plans to flush the Grollics out.” Michael scoffed; irritated by something I knew nothing about. “He’s sometimes like the beasts we chase. He acts as if this is his territory, like he’s marked the trees. It’s probably a good thing you were here. It’s a bit of a mess at the house.”

  “Oh no, what’d he do?” For someone high and mighty, Caleb had a lot of temper tantrums.

  “Living room’s been re-arranged. No structural damage, but we do need a new couch and a few other pieces of furniture.”

  “Do you all have these anger issues? Should I make sure and keep a lock on the door, so you won’t ruin the pool house? It’s kinda like the first place that’s starting to feel a tiny bit like a home.”

  Michael laughed. “You’re safe, and trust me, a lock would be useless. Caleb’s different. He needs his release and that’s how he controls his fury. Better to destroy furniture than go looking for a fight with a human, when the Grollics cannot be found.”

  “Wait a minute.” My heart pounded in my ears. “Why would Caleb attack a person?”

  “Ever seen a drunk guy try and pick a fight? Doesn’t matter what you say to the guy or what you do, he’s gonna find someone to take his pent-up issues out on. Caleb’s a bit like that. He doesn’t go trying to kill anyone. He just goes looking for a fight. With the biggest, baddest dude he can find.”

  I nodded. I understood what Michael was trying to explain, but it still didn’t justify Caleb’s actions.

  Michael clapped his hands and sat up. “Enough with the sludge of my day. Did you learn anything new from the book?”

  I grabbed my notepad and slid the two ripped pages I’d just notes on at the back of the book, then flipped back a couple of pages. “I did find something kinda cool. There were two pages stuck together which I hadn’t noticed before. I found some information about Grollics vulnerabilities. You probably know all it already.”

  “What we know we learned from battle. There’s no manual and they’re hard as heck to kill.”

  “You’re going to be disappointed then. Nothing really stuck out.” I turned the page. “There’s something about rye but it didn’t make any sense…kinda like someone wrote it as a possibility and never did the research.”

  “Rye? Like the bread?” He scrunched his face. “I don’t think asking a Grollic if he wants a sandwich is going to stop him.”

  I giggled. “And here I thought offering him a nice drink on the rocks might do the trick.”

  Michael smiled. “Let’s skip the scientific studies on rye and focus on what we do know. Caleb’s been working on creating a weapon. Nothing has worked as of yet. If we can slow them down, there has to be a way to stop them.

  We continued discussing the book. While I made some food ready, Michael jumped in the showe
r. After, he sat in front of the fire looking over maps of the area. He was determined the map would tell him where the Grollics camped. I set a plate by him and settled on a bar stool. I ate my sandwich and watched him mark off areas with circles, crossing off other spots.

  “I’m going to have Seth and Tatiana scout those areas.” He pointed to an area marked with an “X”. “That’s where they’ve already been. They don’t know the surrounding area and mountains as well as we do. I’d go, but Caleb has other plans.” He crushed his fingers through his hair.

  He needed a break. So did I. “Want to take a walk outside?” I asked. “I need a bit of fresh air. I’ve been cooped up in the cottage for most of the day and figure ten minutes of cool winter air might make my brain fresh again.”

  “We should go buy you boots.”

  I’d completely forgotten with everything that happened yesterday. “You sound like a mother-hen. All worried about my toes.” I wiggled them at him to push my point.

  “I wonder what Caleb would think about that! I’m his understudy and next in line to the throne of the Higher Coven, and you call me a mother-hen.” He chuckled, grabbing my toes and squeezing them. “This little piggy went to market…” He pretended to bite it. “What will my friends think?”

  “I didn’t know you had any.”

  “I do. Loads and loads, too many to count.” He started rubbing my feet. “Actually, you’ll have to meet Tye one day. He’s an understudy as well. You’ll like him.”

  “Is he Seth’s understudy?”

  “No. Seth’s understudy is just like him, except blond. He’s the same with women as Seth. Disgustingly similar.”

  “Don’t let Grace meet him.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want her mated with some male harlot.”

  A deep snigger erupted from Michael. “Gotchya.”

  “Don’t laugh. How’re you going to feel when Grace comes home crying because she’s mated to someone like Seth?” I shook my head. “He cheats on Tatiana, you know? I don’t know how she puts up with it.”