24

Avery

Avery stepped lightly across the jungle floor, trying her best not to attract any attention from the others. The air had been wavering and twisting for the past half hour and she finally decided it was time to figure out what was happening.

Glancing behind her one last time to make sure she wasn’t being followed, Avery barreled ahead.

A moment later, the temple appeared.

She sucked in a deep breath and slowed to a stop. She pressed her hand against the cool stone walls. Was she really meant to find whatever she would learn inside?

There was only one way to find out.

She pushed her way inside, then drank in the interior. The room was enormous and empty, all except the altar. Avery moved toward it but the book was gone. She huffed and ran her hand over the smooth stones. Why had the temple appeared, if there was nothing to see?

She spun around, searching for anything she might have missed. A single window rose toward the ceiling at the far end of the temple. There was no glass, only bars. Avery moved toward it and peeked into the jungle. Nothing looked familiar and Avery’s stomach dropped. What if she ended up like Katelyn and Gabby, lost for two days?

But then she turned and saw the front door, and she remembered the way she’d come.

Closing her eyes, Avery took a deep breath. She was being ridiculous. This was ridiculous.

“Why did you bring me here?” she said out loud.

Rae must have brought her to the temple for a reason.

“Where are you?” The words came out too loud and echoed around the cold, dim room. She sighed and turned back to the altar, and there on the stones lay the book. Avery gasped again and rushed forward. She opened the book and the pages fell to where she’d left off.

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

She studied the words and considered their meaning. There was a devil here—it was something that didn’t surprise her because of all the crazy things happening. But a battle with God Almighty?

She scanned the rest of the page, but most of the words sounded like gibberish. She read to the bottom when one last phrase stood out to her.

Life cometh to those who ofercom, but death cometh to those who are ofercom.

Avery swallowed hard then gently closed the book. None of this made sense. Why her? She couldn’t do anything to overcome anyone, certainly not in some battle to the death in a war with the almighty God.

“You must stop him.”

Avery spun to the door where Rae stood. He didn’t come into the temple, only stood in the doorway, and he kept one foot out like he was ready to run. “Who? I don’t understand any of this.”

Rae frowned and glanced behind him.

“Stop who?” Her frustration was growing.

“He will bring down the Almighty’s wrath. The time is vanishing quickly.” A twig snapped somewhere nearby, and Rae vanished.

Avery raced to the door and glanced out, but he was gone.

Could he fly? What was he?

She growled in frustration again and moved back to the book. She was brought here for a reason, to stop him. Him? Maybe he was the one plaguing Erin.

But the second sentence called out to her. If she was overcome, it would mean death. Her stomach twisted into a tight knot, and she swallowed hard.

By now, Luca and the others were probably searching for her. She needed to get out of the temple and back to them quickly. And she needed to tell Luca the truth. He might be able to make more sense of it than she could.

She closed the book and hurried out of the temple. She’d only gone a few steps when the mirage faded and disappeared. Avery shuddered again and hurried back to where she left her friends.