Mystery's Choice (Vengeance Of The Fallen Book 1) (43 page)

Everyone made their packs for the next night. Mary Kate passed out armament and ammo. When they were done, Mary Kate made coffee and brought out the cake she had baked. They ate while they talked about what they had done with their day. Each one shared a happy memory from childhood, except for Lily. She told them about what she’d enjoyed most about living with humans. The group ate, talked, and laughed together. Everyone was careful to avoid the topic of tomorrow. They finally picked a movie and decided
“A Muppet Christmas Carol”
was a perfect last movie. They watched and enjoyed the puppet antics and Sir Michael Caine’s performance. The room grew quiet as Mary Kate turned off the DVD player and television.

“Well, I think I am going to shower before bed.”  Felicity stood. “Good night.”  She walked from the room.

“I need to spend more time in prayer. I will see you in the morning.”  Ryan stood and went upstairs.

“Mary Kate, do you need anything, more covers, before we go to bed?” Lily asked as she and Sam stood.

“No. I’m set.”  Mary Kate stretched out on the couch.

“Good night.”  Sam said.

“Night.”  Mary Kate answered already falling asleep.

Once upstairs, Lily lit candles so the room glowed with candlelight. Sam locked the door. They both undressed. Coming together, they hugged and began to sway to music only they could hear. Sam kissed Lily lightly, picked her up, and laid her on the bed. He lay beside her and she turned to him. She looked him in the eyes and their gazes held. Lily gasped as Sam pulled her close and filled her. They moved slowly, drawing each movement out. Making each touch linger. He thrust into her slowly, steadily, and she met each thrust. Candlelight danced over their bodies as their passion built. Finally they reached the pinnacle. Never breaking eye contact, they melted into each other and time ceased to matter.

When they woke up the next morning, Mary Kate was in the shower singing Sheena Easton’s
“Morning Train”
at the top of her lungs. When she opened the door, they could hear her heading downstairs; and soon the heavenly smell of coffee filled the house. Sam and Lily showered together. They each washed the other slowly, thoroughly, their sighs of pleasure echoing into the steam. They made love again and washed each other again. By the time they got out, the water had gone cold. They dried each other off, slowly and thoroughly, memorizing each nook, and they finally dressed. Lily smiled at Sam as he whistled at her butt.

Downstairs, Ryan was helping Felicity pack rations for their journey. Mary Kate called everyone to breakfast. She’d gone all out, chocolate chip waffles, Denver omelets, sausage, bacon, and ham. She had made pineapple orange juice from scratch and had hot maple syrup and chocolate sauce for the waffles. Ryan prayed and everyone dug in.

After breakfast, Felicity went off to find a quiet corner to meditate. Ryan and Mary Kate went off to pray. Sam checked the charmed map to make sure security was the same and hadn’t already increased for the Ascension. Lily sat and watched everyone else. She knew they had to be scared, but they didn’t show it.

Mary Kate made ham sandwiches and corn chowder for lunch. They ate in silence. Ryan and Lily did the dishes, and Mary Kate checked her weapons. Felicity centered herself one last time. Sam gathered the map. They put on their jackets and grabbed their bags. As a precaution to make sure at least one car got to the aerie intact, Ryan, Sam and Lily got in Ryan’s SUV and Felicity and Mary Kate got in Mary Kate’s SUV. They waved at each other and drove away.

The drive took them three hours. The sun was beginning to set as they climbed out of the van. All of them, except Lily, stretched their muscles in preparation of the hike ahead. They grabbed their bags and put them on. Mary Kate and Sam covered the vans with pine branches and Felicity erased the tracks from the vehicle. Ryan gathered them together and they held hands and prayed. Resignedly, they turned and started up the steep, steep mountain.

Mystery sensed Ryan and the others coming up the mountain and knew their time was growing short. Cain would come for Jeremiah tonight, to take him away to prepare for the Ascension. She had to do something to slow Cain down. If she confronted him and lost, she wouldn’t be around to help Ryan get Jeremiah out. Frustrated Mystery began to pace her chamber.

“There is a way to slow Cain, maybe to stop him.”

Mystery spun around to find her mother in the door. Raevanne stalked into the room and sighed when Mystery backed away from her.

“I would never harm you!”  Raevanne shouted as she stopped walking. “I love you. Together we can keep Jeremiah alive until Ryan can save him.”

“I don’t believe you!”  Mystery shouted back.

“You heard my part of the conversation last night. I know it was you in the hall. Remember, I was against harming him.”  Raevanne took a step toward her daughter, smiling when she didn’t move away.

“What can we do?”  Mystery asked her mother.

“I know a caim which will make it impossible for anything infernal to touch him.”  She reached for Mystery and took her by the arms. “It will include us, my child. You will not be able to hold him or touch him once the caim is said.”  She rubbed her daughter’s arms. “Only Ryan, Sam, Felicity, or Mary Kate will be able to touch him until the caim is said in reverse.”

“Show me.”  Mystery whispered.

“I will, my child, I will.”  Raevanne said as she pulled her daughter in for a hug.

Mystery gazed down lovingly at her son, his tiny thumb was stuck in his perfect little rosebud mouth as he slept. Mystery’s heart burst with love. She would allow nothing to harm him. Yet, if she said the caim her mother had taught her, she wouldn’t be able to hold him. She knew her powers had increased since coming to the aerie; maybe they were strong enough to stop her father. Mystery shook her head; she couldn’t take that chance. With a strangled cry of anguish she scooped the sleeping child into her arms and held him tight. Slowly, she lowered him onto the pallet she had made inside the circle she’d drawn on his chamber floor. She lit the five candles around its rim, and kneeling outside the circle she threw her arms out, raised her face upward, and closing her eyes.

“The encircling of the Holy Apostles

The encircling of the Gentle Martyrs

The encircling of the Nine Angels

About this child kind, about this child helping.

The encircling of Gentle Brigit

The encircling of Pure Mary

The encircling of Gabriel the Warrior

About this child shielding, about this child helping.

The encircling of The God of The Elements”

Mystery’s sweat soaked body writhed in pain as her son began to wail. She forced thoughts of comfort out of her mind and continued the caim.

“The encircling of Christ’s loving.”
  Pain shot through her at the mention of God’s son, but she forced herself to continue.

“The encircling of the Holy Spirit.”
  Demon kind howled in pain as she invoked the Holy Trinity. The walls and floors began to vibrate until she was sure they would both perish.
“About this child cherish, about this child kind!”

Mystery collapsed and lay on the cool floor weeping. When she was able, she reached for her son. Her heart broke when an invisible barrier repelled her. Closing her eyes, she turned to leave.

Lurking in the darkness, all of the night creatures watched in uninterested silence, as the small party struggled against the wind. Their clothing protected and hid their features. One of the bundled figures fondled a rosary and prayed silently and fervently. Another rubbed an anxious finger over the crucifix around its neck, praying for strength to endure. The third figure pulled its cloak tight and repeated a mantra in its head. The next figure cussed into the wind, repeatedly wiping its face as the wind slapped spittle from its words against it. The last figure stepped, surely, silently through the night, listening for any sign of danger.

The little band slowed as the wind picked up, making walking on the thin mountain ledge even more perilous. The ones who knew they would die this night tried to focus on something else. Feeling the fear of the mortals with her, one reached out to the one closest to her in comfort. The first fought down his fear and picked up the pace. The last laughed and the wind blew off her hood; and her hair, white in the light of the waxing moon, danced wildly about her pale, beautiful face. She froze and listened to the night around her. She moved up to the one in the lead.

“They are coming; it begins.”  She yelled in competition with the wind.

“I know I can feel them.” Ryan reached for Lily’s hand. “You can still ask for God’s forgiveness, Lily.”

“It’s too late.”  She whispered. And somehow he heard and felt the sorrow in the words.

“It’s only too late, when you are dead.”  He turned and continued up the mountain.

Mary Kate picked up her pace to keep up with him. Felicity widened her stride and easily kept up with her short friend. Lily let them pass and waited for Sam. They kissed and he moved on up the narrow path. Ryan rounded a bend and stopped in his tracks. A tall, foul-smelling demon blocked the path.

“Move or die.”  Ryan said without emotion.

“It is you who shall die, human.”  The demon answered in a bile-soaked voice.

“Shall we?”  Ryan answered back. He rested his fingers on his temples. “Die now.”  The demon shrieked and flapped his huge scab-covered wings, choking the air with a heavy putrid scent. Ryan smiled humorlessly and the demon erupted in flames. Ryan felt nothing but resolve as screams came from the burning mass. He watched for a moment, and then kicked the flaming demon off the ledge. He continued up the mountain.

Felicity followed. Mary Kate clutched her necklace and prayed. Lily gently nudged her forward. Sam gripped her hand tightly and they continued. Lily could hear the voices of Legion calling her name. It was hard to imagine the time when their voices sounded like sweet music and signified her return home. Now she heard death in their chant, hers, Sam’s, Mary Kate’s, and Felicity’s.

“Oh!  If only….” Lily stopped herself. If only was for those who did not know their fate. Not only did she know it, she had chosen it, and so had the terrified man walking in front of her. The time for “if onlys” had come and gone while she looked into her lover’s eyes. Hell awaited them both, but they were not going alone; Satan’s pup was coming with them. Lily smiled at Sam and he squeezed her hand.

Sam tried to return Lily’s smile, but somehow smiling made him want to scream. Even when he thought his decision over, which he had plenty of times, he still loved her; and he was still willing to die to save Jeremiah.

Mary Kate fought her fear. She knew God was with her and His will would be done. She hoped it didn’t hurt too much. She prayed His will would include her being able to blow the tunnels. Please, just let her live long enough to make sure the Roodmasi would perish.

Felicity chanted. “I am Earth. I am Air. I am Fire. I am Water. I am power infinite and strong.”  She focused on hoarding her energy until it was needed for the fight. She wasted none of it being afraid. She sought her death with eyes wide open, and she would take as many of them with her as she could.

“Lord, God in Heaven!”  Ryan said as he reached the top of the mountain and saw down into the valley below.

“This has always been here?  We used to camp up here when I was little.”  Mary Kate stared in awe.

“I can feel the evil. It’s so strong it almost has a life of its own.”  Felicity rubbed her damp palms on her jeans.

“Shit!”  Sam exclaimed, causing the others to laugh.

“The aerie is magnificent. It has been here for 300 years. And everything in there is evil except for Jeremiah and Mystery.” Lilith ran toward the cluster of boulders in front of them.

They all crouched down and Sam spread out the map. Nothing had changed, but Cain had to know they were here; he’d sent Seth.