Mystery's Choice (Vengeance Of The Fallen Book 1) (16 page)

12

Sunshine peeked under and around the tightly shut curtains, trying to cheer the despondent figure rocking in the corner to no avail. She vaguely wished the curtains could keep out the light better, but it didn’t matter, nothing did. She could hear life going on without her just on the other side of her sun-trimmed window. And she found the sound of it made her afraid. Everything out there was sinister and foreign. She laughed quietly and wondered when she had lost her mind. She resumed her rocking again when she realized she didn’t care. The rocking stopped abruptly when she realized she was not alone. A vacant smile spread over her ashen face, lighting her china blue eyes as she realized it was the angel from her dreams.

“The Master has a mission for you my child.”  Cain said as he gently stroked the auburn hair away from her sweaty brow.

“Please don’t leave me here alone again, please…” she begged as she grasped Cain’s hand.

“You are never alone, we are always with you.”  Cain knelt down so he was at eye level. “There is an evil man, a man who will destroy us if he can.”  He took her hands in his, and gently pushed an image of his target into her tortured mind. “The Master wants you to stop him, my child, any way you can.”

She stood abruptly and began to pace, madness gleaming in her eyes, “I will kill him!  I will not fail!”  She looked back at Cain, the rage jumping from her eyes, “He will die!”

“Thank you, my child, thank you.”  Cain whispered.

She was so engulfed in her rage she never noticed when Cain disappeared…

Ryan Parsons rubbed his eyes and sighed when the digital clock on his desk showed he’d gotten lost in the parish paperwork again. He logged out of his computer, stood, stretched and went to get his coat. The sun had set and the temperature had plummeted, so Ryan pulled his collar up to cover most of his face. The wind was howling in his ears and he began to dream of hot cocoa. Snow crunched under his feet as he made his way to the sacristy. He whirled around to check behind him because he felt someone staring at him. When he checked the snow covered street he saw no one. Shrugging, Ryan turned back around and continued the few yards to the sacristy door, unlocking it and stepping into the welcoming warmth of the foyer. He still couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched as he shut the door.

“Get a grip, holy man.”  Ryan told himself as he hung up his coat and pulled off his boots.

He stepped into the kitchen and walked to the glass covered cabinets to get the chocolate syrup down and shut the cabinet. He thought he heard someone in the living room.

“Ann, is that you?”  Ryan walked toward the refrigerator and got the milk out. “I thought you were done for tonight. Ann?”

Ryan placed the milk on the counter, and walked into the living room. Finding no one there, he checked the front door and went to check the dining room. As Ryan turned around to go back to the kitchen he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and whirled just as a small, auburn-haired woman leaped out of the shadows. Instinctively Ryan moved to his right and gasped as pain shot through his left arm.

He backed up a step and shoved away from the woman and noticed the gleaming insanity in her eyes. She lunged at him again and Ryan picked up an antique, silver-serving tray and blocked the blow from the large butcher knife she was wielding. Spittle ran from the corner of her distorted mouth as she prepared for another blow. Ryan swung out with the tray hitting the woman in the face and she toppled to the ground. He noticed the filthy hospital gown and tattered robe she wore. Backing out of the room, Ryan went to call the police.

The paramedic bandaged the slice on Ryan’s arm with a frown on her face.

“You should get stitches, Father.” She said as she closed her kit and stood.

“No. I will be fine. Hospitals and I don’t get along.”  He leaned in close, mischief twinkling in his hazel eyes, “I have a tendency to meet with the floor.”

“Okay, Father.”  She smiled, “If you notice it getting red or the pain changes, come in and get it looked at.”

“I promise.”  Ryan said as he escorted her to the door.

Both of their faces went serious, when the gurney bearing the insane woman was wheeled by.

“Do they know who she is, Father?”

“No. The officer said they would have to wait and check with the area institutions. No one has reported a missing patient.”  Ryan said as he gingerly touched his bandage.

“You make sure you lock up, Father.”  She said as she followed the gurney out.

“I will.”  Ryan said as he watched them load the gurney into the waiting ambulance, “I will.”

Ryan walked back into his kitchen and put away the milk and syrup, forgetting his arm, he reached up with his left arm and winced in pain. He turned out the lights on the first floor and headed up to bed. As he turned into his bedroom, the phone rang. Ryan rushed for it.

“Hello?”

“Ryan?  This is Seth. Mystery had the baby.”

“Wonderful! What did she have?”

“A son, and, Ryan she talked to me. She said she is going to fight for our son. I think everything might be all right now.”

“She talked. Wow!”

“Are you okay, Ryan?”

“I just…. I was attacked by an escaped mental patient.”

“What?  Are you okay?  Did they hurt you?”

“She just scratched my arm with a butcher knife. I fended her off and knocked her out.”

“Why come there?  You are miles away from any of the institutions in the area. Did you know her?”

“No.”

“If you are sure you are okay, I’m going to go. I need to talk to you sometime soon. But right now I’d better get back to Mystery and our son.”

“I’m fine. Tell Mystery congratulations for me. What did you name the baby?”

“Jeremiah Ryan.”

“The perfect name, now he’ll grow up to be perfect just like his uncle.”

“Hopefully his ego will be a bit smaller. I love ya, man.”

“Me too. I’m glad Mystery is back. You take care of yourselves.”

“We will. You too.”

“Bye, little brother.”

“Bye.”

Ryan smiled as he dressed for bed. He’d always known Mystery had it in her to beat this.

Felicity placed protective crystals around the crib and she brushed any negative energy out with her ceremonial broom. Stepping back she said a protection charm and inscribed the legs of the crib with the symbol of the goddess and the moon. She placed rosemary under the mattress and hyssop over the crib.

“It’s ready, Mystery” she called out.

Mystery brought her son in and placed him in the crib.

“I’ve done everything I know to do. It should protect him against what we’ve seen so far.”

“Thank you Felicity. You have been a godsend. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Thank you.”

Felicity rubbed her hand over the baby’s satiny soft cheek, he cooed, making her smile.

“It has been my pleasure.”  She looked at her watch. “I’d better go.”

“I’ll see you out.”

“No. I know the way. Stay and play with your son.”

Mystery turned back into the nursery. She stood over the crib and watched her son sleep. He was perfect. And he was safe and she would make sure he stayed safe.

Seth picked up the phone and called his brother. He wasn’t sure why he felt so desperate to have his brother there, but the fact that he did must mean something worse than what they had already faced was coming. He chanted for someone to pickup when it rang for the fifth time.

“Rectory, this is Ann.”

“Ann, this is Seth. Is my brother available?”

“Sure.” The bubbly, young mother of two connected him to the office.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Ryan, this is Seth. Can you talk?”

“Sure.”

“I was wondering if you could possibly get some time and come out here.”

“I don’t know. I might be able to swing a few days in a month or so.”

“We need you sooner than that, Ryan Can you come sooner?”

“What’s up?”

“We could just use some help with everything that has been going on. I need help with Mystery and Jeremiah. I need you big brother. I am barely holding on here.”

“Okay. I’ll let Ann know to clear my calendar and get Father McCabe to cover for me.”

“Thanks. I’ve got to go. I’m at work.”

“I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Seth”

“Bye, Ryan.” Seth hung up the phone and hoped they could keep the demons at bay until he could come.

Mystery tried to figure the best way to tell Seth the rest of the story. You didn’t just tell your fiancé, “Oh by the way my father is the antichrist and my grandfather, well, he’s Satan. Pass the carrots, please.”

There had to be a way to tell him without causing him to have a coronary. She just hadn’t thought of it yet.

She continued to chop carrots and think. She smiled when she heard her son gurgling on the monitor. She could do this. She had to, for Jeremiah. She centered herself when she heard Seth pull into the driveway.

“Hey, honey.”  He kissed her cheek, and went to set down his stuff. Then he came back in the room. “How’s our little man?”

“He’s fine. Dinner will be ready in twenty. Okay?”

“Sure. I am going to go wash up. And bring Jeremiah down.”

“Okay.”  Mystery told herself she was ready, she could tell him.

As they sat down to dinner and she rocked Jeremiah in her arms. She waited until they had said grace and he had begun eating.

“Seth I need to tell you the rest of the story. I need to tell you why I went away for awhile.”

“Honey, if you’re not ready it’s okay I can wait.”

“I’m ready. Just let me tell it; please don’t interrupt. I’ll answer what questions I can after I’m done, okay?”

“Okay.”  He put his fork down.

Mystery took a deep breath and said a quick prayer.

“I had a vision in the hospital. I say vision because it was too strong to have been a dream. I saw the man who has been in the other dreams. I know now he is my father, his name is Cain. As in the original Cain, you know of Cain and Abel. Well, that’s weird enough all on its own, but it turns out Cain is the Antichrist. So, my father is the Antichrist and my Grandfather is Satan. I am not going to let them take me or Jeremiah if I can help it.”  She finished calmly as she breastfed Jeremiah. “Okay, say something, stop staring at me.”

“I would say you need meds, but I’ve seen what I’ve seen and I believe you. What I don’t know is how all of it makes me feel. It’s not everyday you find out you’re engaged to Satan’s granddaughter. I’m gonna need some time, to puzzle all of this out.”  He stood up.” I think I am going to my office to study.”  He turned to go. “Does this mean they will want Jeremiah too?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I just need some time.”  He walked away and she heard the door to his office close.