| |
Damian could hear waves crashing against the shore east of Calen. He’d followed Atlanta’s instructions to the word, but hadn’t imagined that by the time he’d come out of the tunnels it would already be dawn. The trek had been long, and he was exhausted, the satchel on his shoulder feeling heavier by the hour. Still, the sunlight was a warm welcome compared to the cold darkness of the tunnels.
He stood, surrounded by woodland, the sound of the sea distant yet close enough to allow him to orient himself in the right direction. He kept his senses sharp, a part of him expecting that, despite the precautions, he would eventually come face to face with the enemy.
And I’m less than prepared for another round of fighting.
When he broke from the tree line and found himself standing at the edge of a cliff, the Atlantic Ocean spread out in all its glory before him, his fears quickly faded. He dropped the satchel, took a deep breath of the salt water air, and sighed. His shoulders sagged, and he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He needed to rest.
Soon. Not now. I need to get to safety first.
Damian took another deep breath, closed his eyes, and began reciting. The words came easily, quickly, a spell all Druids learned from an early age. He’d used it often, but had never needed it as badly as he did now.
From behind him came a rustling sound, and a tall figure stepped out from the foliage. Damian turned to the man and smiled. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Gabriel.”
Gabriel nodded solemnly. “Master Damian.” He turned his head right and left before his eyes settled on Damian. “You’re alone.”
“I am,” Damian replied, taken aback by the seriousness in the man’s tone. He’d known Gabriel for years, and the man was usually quick with a smile and a joke. His current demeanor seemed out of place.
“Where’s Raul?”
Damian swallowed, unsure of how to answer the question. “We had to separate,” Damian said. “He’ll be staying behind. I need to return to Lisbon to report what we’ve found.”
Gabriel gazed at Damian for a few seconds, the wind blowing through his long white hair as he stood in his place, stoic and composed, yet clearly uneasy.
“Is there a problem, Gabriel?”
“Master Damian, you know I have the utmost respect for you,” Gabriel began. “Your father was my mentor, and the most important lesson he ever taught me was that the Cast always comes first. No matter what.” Gabriel looked out at the sea before returning his gaze to Damian. “However, he was also my friend, and for that I feel compelled to at least bend the rules, if just a little bit.”
Damian frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I suggest not returning to Lisbon, Master Damian,” Gabriel replied.
Damian felt his senses spike, and his hunched figure immediately straightened. The exhaustion was gone, replaced by a deep sense of dread. “What happened, Gabriel?”
Gabriel shook his head. “Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to discuss anything.”
“I’m the leader of the Cast.” Damian’s words took on a commanding tone, one he rarely had to use with Gabriel. “Speak.”
“I cannot,” Gabriel replied, casting down his eyes.
Damian grew infuriated. Not only was he being directly defied, but Gabriel seemed unwilling to register just how much of a mistake he was making. The rules were clear on this matter. Once back in Lisbon, Damian would be forced to imprison him. That frustrated him more than the man’s defiance.
“I like you, Gabriel,” Damian said. “You’ve been more than just a friend. You’re family. But I’ll give you one last piece of advice: Once I’m gone, once you’ve transported me across the sea, I want you to run. You know the rules, and I don’t want to be the one who ends up putting you away.”
Gabriel looked up, his eyes watery, and shook his head. “Please, Master Damian, don’t go back.”
“Then obey a direct order and explain yourself to me,” Damian snapped. “Now!”
Gabriel shook his head and lowered his gaze once more.
Damian balled up his fists and clenched his jaw. He stared at the man for a long time before snatching up the satchel and shouldering it. “Very well,” he said. “You’ve been warned. Now, send me back.”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Disobey this order as well and I’ll be forced to sentence you to exile, here and now,” Damian said. “I can still find my own way back.”
Gabriel nodded, spread his arms wide, and moved them in wide circles. “I’m truly sorry, Master Damian.”
Damian heard the familiar popping sound the teleportation spell made, and closed his eyes just as he felt the world around him shift and change. He held his breath, his body suddenly floating in a vacuum of space and time. It lasted no more than a few seconds, and the popping came again.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing at the mouth of the caves leading into the Cast headquarters. The crash of waves behind him and the strong gust of winds blowing through his hair soothed the burning rage inside him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out in one long exhale. He opened his eyes, readjusted the satchel on his shoulder, and made his way into the cave.
He hurried through the maze of tunnels, allowing himself a small smile at how much they reminded him of the tunnels under Calen. He knew the Druids had built them as well, almost a mirror image of the ones here. It had been a bit nostalgic escaping Calen, but here, he knew where he was going. These tunnels, at least, were familiar.
Still, he couldn’t deny the sense of heaviness he felt, despite coming home. Gabriel’s words still hovered in the back of his mind, and he battled with what he would have to do once he met the other masters. Could he ignore Gabriel’s defiance? Would it really be that bad considering everything that was happening? Right now, they needed every soldier they had. With every passing hour the threat Adelaide posed only grew stronger, and he knew that if they were to beat her he would need powerful and experienced Druids like Gabriel.
Why didn’t he want me to come back?
The question took the forefront of his thoughts, and he was hesitant to dismiss it. Obviously, something was wrong. And if Gabriel hadn’t warned him, then the heaviness in the air around him would have been enough for Damian to sense that on his own.
He rounded the last curve of the tunnel, and with a quick flick of the hand opened the door into the Cast’s headquarters. The underground haven was empty, which he found quite peculiar given the time of day. Usually, there would be Druids everywhere, going about their daily routines, quiet yet determined as they moved from one place to the other. The lack thereof made him even more wary.
What’s going on?
Damian slowed his pace and looked around. He came to a stop in front of the door leading to the conference hall and waited. Surely, someone must be here. The emptiness was both confusing and alarming.
The doors to the conference hall opened, slowly swinging inward, allowing Damian to see the large table in its center with all six elder masters sitting in their respective seats. They were looking at him, their gazes causing him great discomfort as he slowly walked into the hall and set the satchel down on the floor.
The doors swung closed.
“Master Damian,” one of the elders greeted. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you, Master Cale,” Damian replied with a forced smile. “Although I do fear home seems a little devoid of any familiar life.”
Master Cale didn’t return the smile, and Damian caught him sharing a look with the other masters around him.
The Druid to his right, Master Haman, cleared his throat. “There’ve been quite a few changes in your absence,” Haman said, his voice shaking but determined nonetheless.
“Changes?” Damian asked. “I wasn’t made aware of any changes.”
Master Cale stood up and placed a supporting hand on Haman’s shoulder. “Please, Master Damian, sit with us.”
Damian looked from one pair of eyes to the other, red flags popping up in his mind as he held the satchel tight and sat slowly at the head of the table. Every time he caught one of the gaze of one of the elders, they would look away and shift uncomfortably in their seats. Cale, on the other hand, seemed quite confident as he watched Damian like a vulture.
“We understand it has been a trying journey,” Cale said, sitting down as well.
“It was,” Damian replied. “And there’s still much to do, with little time to do it. So, if we can get right to the point, maybe someone can explain these changes that have occurred without my approval.”
Cale nodded, looked to the others, then returned his gaze to Damian. “It has come to our attention that the situation in America has become rather troublesome,” Cale started. “Adelaide has returned with a vengeance, and has taken over the cities of Calen and Everlore.”
Damian nodded in confirmation.
“You see, Master Damian, we believe that this is information that should’ve been shared with us prior to your departure,” Cale continued. “This isn’t a trivial matter. This is one that affects the balance greatly.”
“I understand that,” Damian replied, “but rest assured, masters, that it was not my intention to keep you in the dark. I left for America with Raul to assess the situation. Unfortunately, this took longer than expected, with more complications than I would’ve preferred.” Like this one now.
Master Cale sighed, and shook his head. “Master Damian, you must understand that the Cast has rules for a reason. Over the years these rules have been bent more than once, and rarely to any great benefit. This includes the refusal of your father to allow the Cast a presence in America when the Insurgence was over.”
Damian looked around the table as the other masters nodded their approval. Only Haman seemed unwilling to show support to the claim.
“Master Haman,” Damian began. “Before I left, you were to lead an expedition to the northern parts of Germany, to quell a rising Vampire threat that would consume the lands there. How did you fare?”
Master Cale huffed. “That is neither here nor th—”
“Master Haman!” Damian’s voice echoed in the chamber as he cut Cale off. “Please. How did you fare?”
“The threat has been neutralized,” Haman replied quietly. “However, many Druids were lost.”
“Did you try to solve the issues peacefully?” Damian asked. “Did the Vampires attack you first?”
“Master Damian!” Cale bellowed, standing up angrily.
Damian shot him an icy look that made him stagger backward. The elder quickly composed himself, determined to keep face in front of the others. Damian turned back to Haman. “Well?”
“No,” Haman replied. “We went in with force from the start.”
“Despite my orders not to?”
Haman didn’t reply, his eyes quickly darting to Cale for support.
“Have any Vampires survived?”
Haman shook his head.
“This is not the matter of discussion right now,” Cale hissed.
“This is exactly the matter of discussion,” Damian shot back. “The Druids have gone unchecked for centuries. When a power of our magnitude continues without structure and order, without balance, it becomes a drug. Power too strong to not use in the wrong way. And that’s exactly what James Skolar was afraid of. What my father was afraid of.” Damian gazed challengingly at Cale. “The reason peace was maintained in America was because we didn’t have a presence there. Not despite it.”
“And Adelaide?” Cale asked with a snarl. “The Witch has returned, stronger than ever. Who stands against her now?”
“We will,” Damian replied. He stood up and emptied his satchel, allowing the Lunar Books to fall in front of everyone. “She has only one. We need to find the others before she does. Without the Lunar Books, she will be stopped.”
“And what about your sister?”
Damian froze. He turned to look at Cale and immediately realized he had walked into a trap. The elder knew about Atlanta, about her powers. The truth was reflected as clear as day in his eyes.
“Oh, yes, we know about her,” Cale whispered, mocking Damian with his tone. “We know that she’s a Coven Master. We know about the crimes of your father against our kind. Maybe that was the reason he didn’t want the Cast in America. So we wouldn’t figure out the truth.”
Damian opened his mouth to answer, but couldn’t find the right words. He had been caught off guard, and as he looked at the other elders he could see that they had all been anticipating this precise moment. “How did you know?”.
“Adelaide told us herself.”
Damian felt a sudden rage burn inside him, a mix of surprise and shock coursing through his entire body when he heard the Witch’s name. He willed the fires to him, craving the feel of the magic he would burn Cale with for his treachery. But it never came.
Damian tried to call the magic again, and still nothing happened. He stared at his hands in confusion.
“No magic, Master Damian?” Cale sneered. “That’s expected. You see, the moment you set foot in the chamber, we cast a diminishing spell on you. One that would neutralize your powers. We couldn’t have you lashing out at us, now could we?”
“How?” Damian spoke the words, but they sounded like they were coming from far away.
“The Lunar Books,” Cale chuckled. “We found the other three. Actually, I’ve been looking for them for some time now.”
“That was forbidden,” Damian said through clenched teeth.
“Of course.” Cale nodded. “By the same thinking that put us in this position in the first place. You see, the elders of the Cast have realized that our role in this world should not be the policing of the races. We should be more than that. We are more than that!”
Damian turned to Haman, who had completely turned away and was now standing several feet in the distance. The other elders had all stood up and were now lining up behind Cale.
“The Lunar Books are all we need to reach the power once held by the mightiest race of all,” Cale continued, “and you’ve brought us three more. With six books no race, man or beast, stands against us.”
Damian growled at Cale, lashing out but finding that his feet were stuck in place. Not only had they tampered with his magic, but now he couldn’t even move.
“Adelaide sent us one of her hybrids,” Cale smiled. “A rather atrocious beast. He told us about your relationship with the Witch of Everlore, and about your sister, a Coven Master.” Cale laughed, and shook his head. “Were you planning on keeping that a secret for long? More rules broken by your family?”
“What did Adelaide promise you?”
“To remain in America, while we rid the world of the other races,” Cale replied. “She can keep that wretched land of savages. We don’t care about it.”
“And you believed her?”
“What harm is there?” Cale shrugged. “Soon she’ll find the Coven Master, and they’ll destroy each other. We won’t get involved. Let them kill each other. And when the dust has fallen and the fires have died we’ll be there, destroying whatever’s left.” He reached out and grabbed one of the books. He held it close to him and ran a finger across its cover. “With these, we will rule supreme.”
A sudden realization came to Damian. “You have a Witch?”
“We do.” Cale smiled. Damian wanted to slap the cocky grin off the Druid’s face. “One who will do whatever we say if she wants to see her family again. You’ll meet her soon, in the dungeons, where you’ll live out the remaining years of your pathetic life.”
Damian lurched forward, but the magic holding him down was too strong. He struggled against its invisible grip on him, trying to break free, but it was useless. He was a prisoner in his own home.
Cale clapped his hands, and from the shadows several Druids appeared. They rushed to Damian’s side, grabbing his arms, although it was clear that that wasn’t necessary. Damian looked at their faces in anger. He should have listened to Gabriel. He should have pushed for more information. But now it was too late. He had walked right into the trap.
“You’re making a grave mistake, Cale,” Damian hissed. “You’d better pray that my sister kills Adelaide, because if she doesn’t the Witch will turn on you just as you’ve turned on me.”
“And we’ll be ready when that happens,” Cale said. “The Druids will rule this new world. Although, I fear you might not survive to see it happen.” He dropped the book back onto the table. “Master Damian, I hereby sentence you to life in prison, for the disregard of Cast customs and blatant negligence of our rules. You’re no longer a Master or the Hand.”
“Don’t do this, Cale,” Damian warned.
The elder Druid gestured to the Druids on either side of Damian, and they began to drag him away. He tried to wrestle free but whatever spell had been cast, its hold lingered even when he was dragged out of the main hall and the doors had closed behind him.
