by N M Thorn
Following the directions of her GPS, she exited the freeway and took a small side street. Turning left and right on different streets, drives and parkways, Tessa slowly left behind the suburban area. The last street merged into a small two-way road that was going through a forest. After fifteen minutes of driving, the obnoxiously cheerful GPS-lady announced that her destination was on her right. Tessa stopped the car and took in her surroundings. There were the usual Florida thickets on both sides of the road and there was nothing anywhere that looked remotely like a church. Since it wasn’t a dead-end, Tessa decided to keep going, following the path.
After another few minutes of driving, the road came to a dead-end at the ocean. There was a small space clear of greenery that looked like a parking lot and two cars were parked there. Tessa stopped her car and walked toward the ocean. As she reached the narrow strip of a beach and glanced to the right, she finally saw the church. The building was facing the ocean, but its back was enclosed by a grove. It wasn’t clear if it was a park that belonged to the church or a real wild forest.
Tessa stopped, gaping at the building with her mouth open. She hardly recalled this place from her childhood memories, and most of her memories retained the way the church looked inside. Even if she remembered how the building looked from the outside, as a child she wouldn’t be able to appreciate its beauty and the uniqueness of its architecture.
Tessa didn’t have enough knowledge of history and architecture to identify the century it was built. But she had no doubt that the church was ancient and by the looks of it, merciless time took its toll. The walls were constructed of large, roughly cut stone blocks. The blocks were worn down and crumbled in places by years of tropical winds and rains, and their surface was covered in patches of dark moss and slithering green vines.
The whole church looked like a miniature version of a medieval cathedral. It had everything any medieval cathedral had—pointed arches, high roofs and towers, stained glass windows, and even flying buttresses. The facade of the building was decorated by statues. Most of the sculptures suffered the unforgiving effects of time and weather and were mostly destroyed, but the statues of two gargoyles on both sides of the door, looked almost untouched, as though they were carved just yesterday.
Tessa stared at the gargoyles with interest. From her history lessons, she remembered something about gargoyles being used to take the water away from the building walls during rains. But these two didn’t look like rain gutters. Tessa stepped closer, craning her neck to see them better. The gargoyles had the body of a lion with webbed bat-like wings and the face of a dog from hell. Their mouths were opened in a grotesque snarl, their terrible fangs exposed, and their snouts were distorted by rage so realistic that Tessa felt goosebumps rising on her skin.
As she walked toward the front door, she couldn’t get rid of the feeling that the gargoyles’ furious eyes were following her. She stopped in front of the heavy wooden double-door and pulled on the door handle. Despite the heavy look, the door opened easily and quietly. Gingerly Tessa stepped over the threshold and walked inside the church.
Inside, the church also reminded her of a medieval cathedral with its tall vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows. It smelled of candles and oils, which was normal for a Catholic church. Besides that, a light, hardly noticeable scent of flowers and freshly cut grass was lingering in the air.
There was no one inside, so she walked between rows of benches and sat down somewhere closer to the exit door. For a moment, she stared at the altar with a large crucifix behind it. She didn’t pray or think of God.
After her mother was taken away from her, she never questioned or blamed God for what happened. She accepted things for what they were—accidents happen, and good people have bad things happen to them all the time. For her, it was never about God or his mighty angels. It was about life. And in real life, when shit happens, you have to deal with it and not count on divine intervention. You’re on your own. In her mind, there was no more place for faith and God. The moment she threw the handful of dirt on her mother’s coffin, she buried her faith together with the body of her mother.
Tessa sighed and folded her arms on the back of the bench in front of her. She lowered her forehead on her folded arms and closed her eyes. She sat like this for a while, tired and sleepy. After she returned home from Zane’s house, she went straight to the hidden room and spent every minute of the day and night reading her mother’s diaries, books and documents. The sleepless nights finally caught up with her, and she dozed off.
A soft touch to her shoulder woke her up. Tessa raised her face and blinked a few times to adjust her vision. A young man dressed in black pants and a black shirt with a white clerical collar was standing next to her.
“Can I help you, young lady?” he asked with a soft smile and Tessa realized that all this time she was just rudely staring at him. It’s not like she hadn’t seen a Catholic priest before, but she could never imagine a priest that looked like this man. For her it was easier to imagine him on a runway than behind the altar.
She cleared her throat, lowering her eyes uncomfortably. “Are you Father Collins?” she asked. Noticing that her voice was still hoarse, she cleared her throat again.
“No, I am not,” he replied calmly with a heavy French accent. “My name is Father Raoul de Beaumont. But Father Collins should be here in a minute.”
“Thank you, Father Beaumont,” she said. “I’ll wait for Father Collins here then.”
“I’ll leave you to your prayers, my child,” he replied with a light bow and walked away.
My child… right, thought Tessa, rolling her eyes. She couldn’t give him more than twenty-five.
She heard the entrance door open and turned around. A man in his late seventies, dressed in black robes of a priest entered the church. He was short and stout, with a full head of silver-gray hair and matching beard. His eyes fell on Tessa and his thick silver eyebrows climbed up. The priest made his way to Tessa, and she got up to greet him.
“Hello… Are you Father Collins?” she asked, observing his aged face with heavy wrinkles around his eyes. A deep scar was crossing his left eyebrow, disfiguring his cheek and disappearing under his beard. If she wasn’t looking at a priest, she would think that this scar was left by a knife or maybe even a sword. Tessa couldn’t help but wonder where a peaceful Catholic priest could receive this kind of injury.
“Yes, my child,” replied Father Collins. His voice was deep, maybe a little too deep for his height. “And you are Therasia Reagan Donovan, Reilly’s little girl.”
“Yes, Father,” replied Tessa. Last time she was here, she was about seven years old. She glanced at the priest wondering how he could remember or recognize her.
“When I learned about Reilly’s death, I expected that I would see you sooner or later,” said Father Collins with a sigh, waving at the bench. “Sit down, Tessa. Tell me what brought you here. What are you looking for?”
Tessa sighed. “No offense, Father, but one thing I’m not looking for is God,” she said. She glanced at the crucifix, but then turned away and met Father Collins’ gray eyes.
“I wasn’t offering you a prayer, my child,” replied Father Collins calmly. “Unless you need it, of course…” He took a pause, but Tessa shook her head no and he continued, “I’m sure, since your mother is no longer protecting you, you discovered the existence of the supernatural.”
Tessa’s eyes flew open. This was the most unorthodox priest she’d ever met. “You believe in the supernatural, Father?”
“Why yes, of course.” The priest smirked, his lips stretching under his white mustache, crinkles gathering around his eyes. “As far as I’m concerned, anything that exists in the world is natural, even if it can’t be explained by modern science.” He chuckled. “And who is to say that something is real or not, can or cannot exist? Believe me, some myths and legends carry a lot more truth in them than some of our historical records.”
“So, you believe that witc
hes, vampires and werewolves… All these could be real? And my mom, the Guardians… this is all true?” Tessa held her breath, expecting his answer.
“And a lot more,” murmured Father Collins, his eyes drilling into Tessa. “Your mother wasn’t just a witch, child. She was the highest level mage among the Guardians. Powerful, beautiful woman. I’m so sorry for your loss, Tessa.” He lowered his head and pressed his hand over his eyes.
“Mage…” mumbled Tessa. “Ever since I found out that she was a Guardian, there wasn’t a minute in the day when I didn’t wish that she told me the truth and explained everything to me herself.”
“How did you find out that your mother was a Guardian?”
“That’s a long story,” said Tessa, her fingers playing with the car keys that were still in her hand. “But to make it short… My neighbor passed away and her spirit gave me my mom’s message and showed me a hidden room with her diaries and her spell books. At first I didn’t want to read all of them, but my friend changed my mind. So, I’ve been doing some light reading the last few days.”
“I know your neighbor. She was a witch practitioner,” said the priest. “But may I ask the name of your friend? You told him who your mother was?”
Tessa chuckled, shaking her head. “No, Father. His name is Zane Burns, and I didn’t have to tell him about who my mother was. Once he saw the pictures on the wall of the hidden room, he knew. He told me about the world of magic and was trying to help me with my research. After everything that happened, I had to know what I was.”
“Aw, Zane Burns, of course… I’ve heard of him. Remarkable young man. Quite unique, I might say… I’m glad to hear that you have such powerful friends—Zane Burns and Aidan McGrath. Now that your mom is not around, you may need both of them by your side…”
Tessa suppressed a sigh. Both of them by my side? Well, that would be tricky, since I just told both of them to go to hell… She didn’t expect that the priest knew about Aidan and it left her mind in chaos. He obviously knew what Zane was. But did he know what Aidan was? Was it possible that he knew what she was? Who was he that he knew all this stuff? The questions were creating a wild stampede in her mind and she couldn’t organize her thoughts.
“Father,” she said finally, “how do you know all this? Who are you?”
The priest didn’t answer right away, deep in his thoughts. “I guess you’re not going to stop until you learn the truth, so I better tell you,” said Father Collins. “I’m a Warden.”
“A churchwarden?”
“No.” The priest smiled. “More like a knowledge Warden. I’m a part of the ancient organization that was established thousands of years ago by the Destiny Council. We gather and guard the knowledge and wisdom of different worlds and generations, human and supernatural.”
“So, you’re like a glorified librarian?” Tessa felt a twinge of disappointment. All this time she thought there was something special about Father Collins. That he was more than just a priest. If her mother, who was a Guardian mage, needed his help, he had to be a powerful wizard or at least a mighty warrior.
“Yeah, like a librarian, if librarians were studying the art of war and magic, various combat skills, and were guarding the most dangerous spells, enchantments and incantations known to the world,” said Father Collins, chuckling. “Humans say that knowledge is power. And it’s a relatively true statement, relative to how well you apply your knowledge.
“But the knowledge we guard is the purest form of power and magic, not a figure of speech. We’re the Wardens of the wisdom of many, collected over thousands of years and preserved by the Destiny Council. Trained warriors, we operate alongside the Guardians, providing them with the support and information they need to do their job. I was working with your mom for years…” His voice trailed away, and a shadow of sadness darkened his face.
“Father Collins, there is a lot I don’t understand,” said Tessa quietly, “and I would love to learn as much as I can about the world of magic. But right now, I have only one question for you. And with all my soul I hope that you have the answer.”
“What’s your question, Tessa?” asked the priest, his expression hardened as he grew more serious, his fingers squeezing the crucifix on the silver chain around his neck. “I pray I can answer it.”
“I can communicate with the spirits of the dead. I’m not human. What am I, Father?” whispered Tessa, her voice trembling. For some reason she felt afraid to voice her question out loud.
“Oh, child…” Father Collins sighed, scratching his white beard. “I was afraid that you would ask that. This is the only question I can’t answer… Your mother spent over a decade trying to answer this question and everywhere she looked, she came to a dead-end.”
“Then why did the Guardians decide to shadow me, or my power,” she said, her voice breaking as tears of disappointment gathered in her eyes.
“The magical energy spike that accompanied your birth was so powerful, that anyone who had an ounce of magic in them could feel it,” explained Father Collins. “Your biological parents abandoned you on the steps of a church. This church.” Father Collins waved his hand around. “Only people privy to the Knowledge were aware of the existence of this church and the Wardens. So, there was no doubt that your parents weren’t new to the world of magic. With you, they left just a little note that had nothing but your name—Therasia Reagan. Not even a last name.
“Our seers examined you and all of them agreed that you had magic, but no one could say what kind of magic you had and what you were. Nothing about your essence and energy signature looked familiar. So, the Destiny Council and the Wardens decided to assign a Guardian to you, to protect you and shadow your powers until we would learn more about who your parents were.
“Your mother fell in love with you the moment she laid her eyes on you, Tessa. She was the most powerful mage the Guardians had, and she had a promising future in the organization. But she wouldn’t hear of it. She left everything behind, adopted you and dedicated her life to protecting you, not only as your magical Guardian but also as a loving and caring mother.”
“Father, I need to know what I am,” said Tessa quietly. “My mom died protecting me. She learned something and was on her way here when she was killed. I’m sure that her death wasn’t accidental, and I can’t rest until I find whatever or whoever killed her.”
“I never thought that Reilly’s death was accidental,” muttered Father Collins. “No car accident can kill a powerful mage like her. And I can understand your need to learn who you are, and I support it. But I have to warn you—the path of revenge will bring you nothing but more pain and disappointment, my child.”
Tessa tilted her head, staring at the priest, and smirked bitterly. “Revenge? Who said anything about revenge, Father? I’m just trying to repay in kind. I don’t like to be in debt.”
“Tessa,” said the priest putting his hand on her shoulder, “Father Beaumont and I will do everything we can to help you in your search. We’ll start where your mother left off and we’ll work together with you until we uncover your origins. I hope you will change your mind about seeking vengeance for your mother’s death. I’m sure she wouldn’t approve of it, and neither would—”
Father Collins stopped talking in mid-sentence and slowly rose. For a moment fear shadowed his features and his shoulders tensed. Tessa also got up, but she couldn’t hear or sense anything. Suddenly, the ground trembled and a thick cloud of dust fell from the ceiling. A split-second later, an ear-piercing howl, hostile and malevolent, rambled through the church. Tessa never heard a sound so bone-chilling and terrifyingly evil. She pressed her hands to her ears, barely able to breathe. A cold wind swept through the church and windows exploded inward showering them with colorful shards of glass.
The priest grabbed Tessa’s hand, pulling her toward the altar. She ran after him, trying to keep her balance as the ground kept rattling and swaying under her feet.
“Father, what the hell is going on?” she yelled
over the noise.
“Language, you’re in the house of the Lord,” barked the priest, pulling her forward faster and shouted louder over the overwhelming discord, “Raoul, now! NOW!”
Father Beaumont stood in front of the altar. Tessa caught sight of him and gasped. The peaceful priest was gone. Raoul de Beaumont was holding a long sword in his hands, his body clad in a real medieval knight’s armor, chainmail and all. She reached the altar and Father Collins muttered something under his breath. A long sword, similar to the one Raoul was holding, manifested in his hands and the armor wrapped his body. He put his hands on Tessa’s shoulders and shouted in her ear.
“Tessa, something truly evil is coming. The howling you hear is the gargoyles trying to protect the entrance. Whatever it is, they won’t be able to hold it for much longer. You need to run.” He waved at a small door in the sidewall. “Go through this door. It’ll lead you into an underground tunnel that will take you outside. Raoul and I will try to give you a few minutes. God be with you, my child.”
“Father, you and Raoul need to go with me,” begged Tessa, cold sweat running down her back. “It’ll kill both of you!”
“No! Tessa, run!”
The ground shuddered, and she yelped, grabbing Father Collins’ arm. The entrance door blasted open and the dark, dirty fog entered the church. Quickly devouring the distance, it moved toward them emitting the stench of evil magic. Father Collins pushed Tessa toward the sidewall and raised his sword.
Tessa ran forward. There were only a few feet separating her from the door and the safety of the tunnel. At the moment when she put her hand on the door handle, the dark, sinister cloud enveloped her, suffocating her with its hatred and malice. She couldn’t see anything around her except for a filthy swirling dark air. Fear tore through her, freezing her in place. She brought her arms up to shield her face and screamed at the top of her lungs. In the last moment, with horror she saw a beam of bright white light erupting from her hands as lightning split the darkness. And everything dissolved into oblivion.
