PROLOGUE
The Future
“If it be dark, how dost thou know 'tis he?”
- William Shakespeare
Leaf’s wrists were strapped securely to a sturdy wooden chair, causing the tips of his fingers to run cold. The open wound on his scalp spouted blood before it trickled through the trails of his short mane, eventually spilling down his forehead and pressing through the tiny hairs of his eyelids.
The darkness made it difficult to see his adversaries but he blinked a few times, forcing the red liquid out of the way in an effort to peer within the shadows. “Why you doing this?” he mumbled, the salty metallic taste of his blood heavy on the tip of his tongue. “I don’t understand.” His body shook uncontrollably although the tone of his voice was somewhat calm.
He was livid.
What did they want with him?
Why had they broken into his home?
Out of the gloominess appeared an elderly woman with an eerie smile. “You really don’t know, do you?” She knelt before him and wiped the blood from his vision with the cool but forceful palm of her hand. “You really are an innocent fool.”
He swallowed and moved his hands slightly to relieve some of the pressure of the ropes but nothing worked. The restraints would not give no matter what and he was in pure agony. “If I knew what you wanted from me, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“We need your assistance,” the woman said, her smile wider than before. “I wish we didn’t but I’m afraid it’s come to this moment.” She placed a hand on his knee. “There comes a time in life where you have to take a stand. And for me to do that, I need your help.”
“So what do you want?”
“Where is Nine Prophet?”
Suddenly the thunder in his head vibrated like sticks to a drum. He was losing so much blood that he was getting dizzy and losing the reality of the moment. “What do you want with her?”
“How fond are you of your wife?” the woman asked.
“Words can’t express,” he replied, his head drifting backwards.
“How could you not love Nine?” the male collaborator said, his natural voice filled with bass. “She is both alluring and beautiful in the same space. I would never want a woman like that for my own. I’d be too consumed.”
“She’s a human not a goddess.” The woman laughed. “In your adoration, please remember that she is also evil,” the woman added as she gazed at Leaf. “If you search your memory I’m sure we don’t have to say a lot to convince you of this. You live with her. You see the decisions she makes and you’re witnessing firsthand how much power she’s accrued.” She paused. “What happens when she uses this capacity against you?”
He was in anguish and an unwilling participant in this meeting. All he wanted was to get some help before it was too late. “You beat me,” he whispered. “Almost killing me in the process and still I have not received an answer to my question. What do you want?”
“Nothing that you won’t be rewarded for in the kingdom of heaven,” the woman responded. She stood up and took two steps away without moving deeper into the darkness.
“Rewarded?” he repeated.
“Yes, all are rewarded who stand against evil and tyranny,” she said in a compassionate tone.
With all his might, he yelled, “I’m still not hearing what you want!” the gash in his head beat with the pressure of a jackhammer into hard concrete.
Feeling disrespected, she smacked him, forcing his head to jerk to the left. “I’ll tell you when the time is right! For now, let me tell you who we are. And what we can do to your life if we are refused.” She paused. “We are Disciples. And we bring with us all the wrath that God has bestowed upon us.”