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I heard Rob yelling, but couldn’t figure out what he was shouting about. I had to focus on Malaz. I’d not let him touch Rob, or Grace, or anyone I loved.
Jerking away from him, time slowed momentarily as he moved backward as if in slow motion, retreating deeper into the forest before disappearing.
I had no doubt that I would see him again. Soon.
"No. It's their fault she's dead!" Rob's voice was loud and full of unsent anger.
I turned on my heel and raced toward the house. I couldn’t get back fast enough. "What's going on?" I skidded to a stop beside my brother and Grace, as she seemed to be trying to get him to calm down.
"Caleb brought up the scene at the facility and said that they lost a lot of people." Grace gave me a quick look that pleaded for help.
"It was the tone he used,” he growled at Caleb. “We wouldn’t have had to fight for our lives had you not sent them after us, had you not kidnapped me!”
I put my hand on Rob’s shoulder trying to calm him.
He shrugged me off, but did lower his voice slightly. “Like we didn't lose anyone. My mother died in that fight trying to save me and Rouge, because unlike you people, she has a heart." Rob's words were beyond harsh and Grace jerked back as if he'd slapped her.
"I'm not like them," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. "But you can't see that right now, can you?"
"Grace." He reached for her, but she spun around and ran out of the room.
Rob ran his fingers through his messy mop of hair and turned to me, growling loudly, "Why can't anything work out?"
"Because tensions are high and we have to rely on our enemies to give us direction and help. It's a sticky place to be in." I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. "Give her a bit of time and then go apologize. Her and Michael are exactly like Rebekah was, if not more so."
"I know." He growled again. "Shit. I know."
I glanced behind me, wondering if I should tell him about seeing Rebekah and Malaz.
"Did you have any luck out there?" He nodded to the journal in my hands.
I glanced down and shook my head. "No. I kept hearing things, seeing things."
"You want me to go back out there with you and maybe we can look together through the journal?"
He needed someone to be around that didn't leave his skin crawling. That was me. I held back telling him about seeing Rebekah and what Malaz wanted from me.
"Yeah. I'd like that actually." I turned toward the forest and started back up the hill with Rob next to me.
"It’s just you and me sis." He put his arm around me and let out a quick sigh. "You really think the dark angel's blood could kill Bentos?"
I nodded, swallowing at the sudden dryness in my throat. "I’m pretty sure I can get Bentos to come. Trapping him might be a different story." I tucked away the information that Malaz had plans for me. Plans I would never in a million years agree to. I'd sooner die than become my father or Malaz’s lap dog.
"Let's check in the journal to see if there's anything in there we can use against him. Didn’t you say one time that there were drawings that showed a Grollic’s weaknesses? Maybe there’s one about the dark dumbass too?"
“Dark dumbass?” I laughed, despite the heaviness of the situation we were in. “I don’t know where you come up with this stuff Rob. I wish we’d have grown up together. It’d have been a laugh.”
He hugged me with the arm still around my shoulders. “I wasn’t the nicest guy. Didn’t do all the right things. You’d have probably hated me.”
“Or maybe, if Rebekah hadn’t had to hide from Bentos, I wasn’t the seventh mark and been given away in hiding, we might have had a cool life.” I pulled the journal from under my arm and held it up, preferring to not think about what could have beens. "I honestly can't imagine there being anything in here for the simple fact that Bentos would have used it already. Malaz has to be his greatest threat." I stopped by a large walnut tree, glanced around and moved to sit down on the chilly forest floor.
Rob dropped down and laid on his side, pulling at dead grass and staring off into space.
I opened the journal, taking advantage of him being quiet for a minute to see what I could find.
The pages fluttered back and forth as if the wind were blowing them. I pulled my hand back and let the book land where it would. Power brushed by me and I glanced up to see if Rob was paying attention. He wasn't. He was frozen in time, his eyes wide and face slack.
"What the hell?" I whispered and looked down at a page with writing that went blank. Then words began to appear slowly from the bottom to the top, right to left. I had to wait until the entire thing was on display to understand what it wanted of me.
It is with new life that the old things will pass away and the new will gain life. In the essence of angelic existence lies the key to destroy the dark one. One will come who will hold the power of both the heavens and the earth. Only then will the dark one find himself trapped by two greater powers than his evil has ever created. Only then will the child be able to harness the strength of three. And with that gift... the end will begin.
The air seemed frozen suddenly. I couldn’t breathe. Clarity would soon be mine and the end of the Grollics would be within reach. The thought excited and horrified me all in the same moment. I gasped for breath when my lungs threatened to explode.
Rob's voice scared me and I jumped.
"Why are you crying?" He rolled to his knees, reaching out and brushing a tear from my cheek.
"I didn't know I was." I wiped at the other side of my face and handed him the book. "Read this if you can."
He took the book and dropped it, jerking back with a yelp. "Damn. It's blazing hot. Very funny, Jamie."
"Rouge, and I forgot it’s hot to your touch." I picked it up and started to work through the contents again.
"How about you read it to me, or at least tell me what you're thinking."
I stared down at the page, half expecting it to change back to the original wording but it didn’t. "I'm not sure about the first line, but the second one references the essence of angelic existence being the key to destroying the dark one, who I assume is the dark angel or spirit."
"What's the reference of essence of angelic existence?" Rob sat back on his heels and gave me a look of confusion. “That’s a friggin’ mouthful.”
I tugged Michael’s Sioghra out from under my shirt and wrapped my fingers around it. "I think it's this... the angel's lifeblood."
"So the angel's blood will kill the dark one. Good. Send Caleb. Hopefully the scary bastard gives the snooty king of the angels something to think about." Rob growled then shrugged as I gave him a warning look. "What? I hate that guy."
"It says that one will come that holds the power of both heaven and earth."
"Earth or hell?" Rob moved closer, but kept his hands to himself.
"Earth." I sucked my lip into my mouth and glanced up. "The power of heaven and earth."
"Heaven could be the hunters and earth could be the Grollics."
I looked up and chuckled. "That's it. Brilliant. So it's someone that is both angel and Grollic."
"So either of us." Rob lifted his eyebrow and smiled.
"Right, but I'm the only one with a Sioghra, although, I feel like you should have one too. The fact that you don't worries the heck out of me." I glanced back down at the book, comfortable with the fact that it was referring to me. I was certain it was going to be me going after Malaz anyway.
"Being both Grollic and hunter is enough to trap him, or so this says."
"What else?" Rob moved closer, letting his knees press to mine as he sat down fully on the ground.
"Only then will the child be able to harness the strength of three. And with that gift... the end will begin." I closed the book and took in a deep breath. "Whatever the dark angel gives up to me, it opens the doorway not only for us to see what the strength of three is, but it also brings about the end of the Grollics."
Rob's eyes shifted down and he nodded. "Good. Then it's the way things are supposed to work out."
"No. I don't believe that." I reached out and touched his knee. "I'll figure out how to work all of this out, but first things first. I have a date with the greatest evil earth’s known."
I got up and dusted off my pants. Scared crap-less but at least we had something—a bit of a plan. Destiny was opening slowly and offering me the next steps in finishing this fight. I felt ready for the after party. It was coming.
"I'm glad you feel like you validated the fact that it's you that has to go after this evil being, but I still don't get how you're going to kill him."
"Great feats require great sacrifice," I quoted some movie or book I remembered hearing. I lifted Michael's Sioghra again and watched the garnet red essence inside sparkle as I held it up toward the late afternoon sunlight. "I need my lifeblood back. I'll get close to the dark angel, slash him with it, and hope for the best."
"Um, right..." Rob looked over at me as we walked down the hill together. "And don't you need that blood to keep you alive and walking around here on the earth?"
"Yep, but not all of it." I shrugged. "That part I need to check with Caleb."
"Oh great! Count me out. I've had all I can handle of Mr. High and Mighty Arse today."
I laughed and stopped by the back door. "I'll talk to them with Michael. You go find Grace and tell her you're sorry."
"For what?" His smirk told me he knew exactly what he was apologizing for.
"For being an ass." I winked and walked into the house.
The tension had grown so thick it felt like I might need a blade to cut my way to the kitchen table. Caleb and Sarah sat on one side and Michael on the other. The look on my boyfriend's face told me things weren’t progressing. The journals lay basically untouched on the table.
"Rouge. You okay?” Michael awarded me with a tight smile.
"I’m fine. I found out something about getting close to the dark angel and harnessing his power." I moved to sit by Michael and made sure to focus on Caleb. "Tell me something..."
"What?" He leaned forward, pressing his forearms to the table.
"If a hunter loses some of the blood from their Sioghra, what happens?"
"You mean if it spills?" Michael asked and scooted closer to me. He reached out and rubbed his hand along my back, the action comforting, but most likely a reminder to the people across the table that he and I were a united front.
"You would weaken," Caleb answered, his voice deadpan. "It's damn near impossible to get the Sioghra to open. It's a learned trick."
"Teach me." I leaned forward too, not at all intimidated by the man across from us, though perhaps I should have been.
"Why?" Sarah asked, her voice soft and much less abrasive than Caleb's.
"Because my journal states that I'm the one that can capture the dark angel’s essence to take out Bentos." I leaned back, tiring already from playing a game of who's got the bigger stick.
"I can see that happening." Caleb lifted his fingers to his mouth and brushed them over his lips as he watched me. "When are you thinking of trying this?"
"She's not." Michael turned toward me with anger on his face. "You're not going to take on this dark evil by yourself. It's suicide. It's crazy and irrational."
"And the only way I can find that leaves us holding the one weapon that will take my father out fully." I turned back to Caleb. "Teach me or you send me out there without a weapon. I'm working to bring Bentos to his end. It's what you want and we do too."
"And what about your brother? Ready to see him perish as well?" Caleb asked, his tone losing strength as if some part of him felt bad for the situation before me.
"Teach me how to open the Sioghra. Please." I stood and nodded toward the door. "Now."
He stood as well and looked down at Sarah, concern brushing across his handsome face. "You and Michael stay here. We won't be long."
"No. I'm coming." Michael stood and moved toward me, but I lifted my hand to stop him.
"No. Give me the necklace and hold onto yours as I work this out. I'll be right back and Caleb won't hurt me." I looked over to Caleb. "Will you?"
"No. I swear it on Sarah's life." Caleb turned to Michael. "Stay here with Sarah, please. I don't want her alone."
She laughed and looked up at Michael. "He still thinks I need protection, though I could whoop him in a fight any day."
A smile played at the edge of Michael's mouth and I was glad to see it. Maybe not all was lost. He looked over at me and let his eyes move around my face as if memorizing me.
"You sure you'll be okay?" He reached up and took the necklace off. "Keep mine with you, okay?"
"I'll be fine." I took my necklace and put it around my neck, carefully laying it on top of his.
"Let's go." Caleb walked to the door and opened it before moving outside and holding the door for me.
I walked out and closed the door. "I thought you said it was a learned trick and virtually impossible."
"It is for most, but not for you." He nodded toward the open field behind the house. "Let's go out a little ways and I'll teach you the meditation that will open it. Most hunters aren't strong enough to open their Sioghra. The magic that holds it closed is far more powerful than you might think."
I pulled mine up and memorized the beautiful engravings on it. To know that my body made it was something else.
There was no fear inside of me as Caleb turned toward me and closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath.
"Close your eyes and imagine what the heavens might look like. Settle your soul and when you have... a light will appear. Take hold of it and open the container that holds it. Once you do, you've successfully broken the power on your Sioghra. Most people never see the light. Let's see how special you really are."
I ignored the challenge in his voice and closed my eyes, letting the world go and rushing toward the brilliance of how I imagined forever to be.
