Chapter 9

 

 

 

“The obstacles in the castle’s surrounding area?” I repeated her words like a parrot. How much more complicated and screwed up could this mission become? As if it wasn’t enough that I had to fight one of the oldest and most dangerous dark watchers, there was more? Obstacles before the castle?

“There are three, like in all good fairytales,” Michael said.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second! Can’t you just teleport me to the castle? Why in the surrounding area?” I asked, trying my best to understand their logic.

“The castle’s enchanted. Actually, the whole area is,” Michael said.

“Yes, we’ve tried several times, but each attempt got worse,” Raphael agreed.

“Once, we ended up in the center of Paris in daylight. Another time, the protective spells threw us in a cave with a fierce dragon inside. It was high in the mountains of Scotland,” Shiva added.

“Yes, the spells he put around the castle are like a giant bubble barricade, and they trigger some insane cross-magic teleportation so we never know where we might be redirected,” Raphael said. Seeing my face sulk, he reassured me. “Don’t worry, we’ll guide and help you up to the castle’s garden.”

“Yes, Loki and I will go with the girl,” Enki said, rubbing his hands against one another with gusto. I could see his excitement. Maybe he hadn’t visited the earthly plane for centuries, like Loki.

“And yet, won’t you tell me what those obstacles are? I’ll most certainly need my enchanted weapons, Lily and the chakram—” I couldn’t finish because Loki’s voice cut me off.

“You named your weapon, Lily?” he asked incredulously.

“It’s an enchanted knife,” I said defensively. I’d once mentioned how I named my enchanted knife to my ex-boyfriend, Marc, and he’d made fun of it. I didn’t want that happening again. Not here.

Loki chuckled. “I like this girl more and more! Bravo, Damian. For once, you’ve chosen a funny person,” he said as his face beamed with delight. I squinted my eyes. I really wish I knew if this weirdo was making fun of me or having fun with me? I had to watch out for him. He stood up, drawing nearer to my seat. His magic palpitated in the air, swirling and dancing around my aura. It had the taste of a bubbly champagne. His signature came across as light and playful, and yet, there was a hint of hidden power and aggressiveness ready to unleash and slap me in the face when I least expected it.

“Love, we’ll provide you with whatever enchanted weapons and items you need. Alternatively, we could teleport you home, but we’ll lose unnecessary time. It’s already October in the human world,” Durga said, pursing her lips.

I gaped, staring at her. “Pardon? It’s October? How come?”

Damian flashed me a silent glance, the “I told you so” look.

“Time runs much faster here than in the three-dimensional world,” Michael clarified. “We’re running out of time, so we ought to cut to the chase and teleport you the closest we can to the castle, ASAP.”

“Yes, it’s true. Here, time runs differently than in the human world. Unfortunately, Drogo lives there, too,” Durga said.

“In regular, not such urgent circumstances, we’d train you and spar with you, but I’m afraid time is a precious commodity right now,” Shiva said, glancing at Durga.

She gave him a nod, and with all the royal stateliness that emitted from her, she said, “Aiyana, I task archangels Michael and Raphael to assist you with all the needed military weapons for Mission Fallen Conspiracy.” She glanced at Loki and Enki before commanding them. “Guys, you’ll accompany her to the sandstone mountains and the swamp. Make sure to take care of her. Help her beat all the monsters who roam and guard the castle’s gardens, and give her advice whenever needed.” She finally turned to me. “My best wishes to you, love. May the Creator be with you. May you deliver us the dark scroll.”

Michael stood up, and Raphael followed suit. Damian’s hand squeezed mine softly but reassuringly. “You’ll be fine, kid.” He winked at me. A smooth silver magical thread glowed from his fingers, pouring into my hand, engulfing my arm, and caressing my skin. It felt cozy and safe like it was Christmas Eve and I had nestled by the fireplace in a mountain lodge. A strange and unexpected desire to kiss him hard on the lips overwhelmed me, and I had to restrain myself from doing something silly and unplanned. Coming to my rescue, Archangel Michael snapped his fingers and a golden shield manifested in his hands. It radiated with fiery flames, a multitude of small runic symbols shimmered in the air, sparkling across the shield’s polished surface.

Loki announced that he and Enki would wait for us on the other side in the sandstone mountains. The archangels barely nodded in confirmation when the air heated and a roaring whirlwind swirled around me and the two archangels, taking us across the ether into the void. The last thing I remembered was Lord Shiva’s hand raised at me, his palm open. I smiled internally; he had blessed me.

***

The whirlwind delivered us to a very strange place. Michael and Raphael flanked my sides like guardians, which they were, come to think of it. I studied the space, a giant room in what looked like the greatest repository I had ever laid my eyes upon. I gawked at a myriad of crammed shelves with countless items stacked on them. A great variety of knowledge pulsated inside those tomes. Soft and potent magic hummed in the space, encasing it, ready to bedazzle if let “out of their bottle”—aka, the book pages. I started to realize why some folks said knowledge was dangerous.

“This is our magical repository, you can choose whatever catches your fancy,” Raphael said.

“You mentioned enchanted knives and a chakram. We have our own enchanted weapons, so you can help yourself.” Michael pointed to an area down the hall, to the left of the entrance from where we stood. He strode to it, and I followed him. An array of weapons of all kinds lay on the wooden shelves. A thin, transparent magical bubble was placed upon each of them. I selected a prolonged knife with a razor-sharp blade and runic inscriptions on its dark-painted handle.

“Good choice,” Michael noted, giving me a nod. He snapped his fingers, and the bubble over the knife fluttered away into the stilled air. He took the knife and handed it to me, placing it inside my palm. The blade’s steel gleamed in the dimmed light, casting a small reflection of my own image. The magic of Celtic warriors washed over me, a loud song of victory and brazen attacks humming in my ears.

“It’s a warrior’s knife,” I said to Michael. I didn’t know how, but I knew it. It was how I magically read the knife. The archangel gave me a faint smile.

“This knife belonged to Saint Patrick. He used it when he banished all the snakes from Ireland.”

“Whoa!” I muttered, turning the weapon with my fingers so that I could take a closer look at the handle’s inscription.

“What makes this weapon special is, besides being enchanted and returning to you when you call it, it responds to two important commands. “Maraigh” for kill and “bodhar” for numb. Use the first when you want to destroy your enemy and the second to put the adversary in a stupor.”

I repeated these two words mentally, trying to memorize them. My new toy would come in handy.

Confident steps resounded in the space, approaching us, and I turned my head from the knife in my palm to the surrounding area. Raphael appeared, a golden, gleaming bundle in his hands. I’d forgotten about him after we wandered away.

“What’s up, mate?” Michael asked him and pointed to the bundle. “What’s this?”

“I think it’d be useful to carry the Slayer with you.” He unwrapped the bundle, and a golden, five-pointed chakram glowed. “Drogo and his minions are afraid of love and light…well, all demoniacal entities are.” He wrinkled his noise in disapproval, his wings shimmering with darker bluish radiance, vibing with his mood. “Use it when your enemy drains your energy with mental spells. Hurl this beauty at them and their terror will cease,” he advised as he handed me the peculiar item. The chakram buzzed, and a tender wave spread across my skin, giving me goosebumps.

“Interesting name, Slayer. Thank you.” I sheathed the knife and chakram into my pockets. The treasures reminded me of my days working as a magical treasure hunter.

“Are we ready?” Michael asked, impatience lacing in his voice, so I nodded in confirmation. The air charged with gleaming and shimmering runes as he raised his fiery shield again above his head. I braced myself for the swirling vortex. It came, roaring in the space, and carried us off into the void of the ether.